India, Aug. 15 -- Three alleged poachers were killed in an exchange of fire with forest personnel in the Datti forest area under the Shagya range here on Saturday, prompting Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to order a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

The incident occurred around 5.10 am in the dense forest area falling under the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary when forest personnel, acting on information about hunting, encountered four men, Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy said.

"The Chief Minister directed that a magistrate inquiry be conducted to ascertain the facts from both sides. We need to find out what actually happened and whether the firing was deliberate or carried out in self-defence," Reddy said.

According to Reddy, two forest...