Chamarajanagar, Aug. 16 -- Conflicting accounts have emerged over the firing incident in the Shagya range of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in which three men were killed, with the families alleging that forest personnel shot them while they were asleep and the Forest Department maintaining that its staff opened fire in self-defence after being attacked by suspected poachers.

An FIR has been registered at Hanur police station based on a complaint filed by Lourdamery, wife of deceased Antonyaswamy of Thomiyar Palya. She alleged that her husband and two others were shot dead by forest personnel while they were sleeping near a rocky area inside the forest.

According to her complaint, two of their cattle had failed to return home after bein...