A disturbing case has emerged from Kodagu, where a 53-year-old daily wage worker with the Forest Department, Gopal from Nagapura Hadi (under the Kallalli forest limits), died following a workplace accident — and was allegedly cremated by officials without informing his family or conducting a post-mortem.
Gopal, who worked as a jeep driver in the Kallahalla sector of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, was seriously injured on May 22 when a department jeep accidentally ran over him during duty. Although he was taken to a hospital in Mysuru, the Forest Department allegedly brought him back home at 5 a.m. without proper aftercare. His family bore the hospital expenses until his death a few days later.
Shockingly, after Gopal passed away, Forest Department officials reportedly cremated his body in haste — without informing the police or the family, and without a mandatory post-mortem. This has sparked serious allegations of negligence and misconduct.
Gopal’s wife later filed a formal complaint at the Kutta Police Station. As a result, a case has been registered against Range Forest Officer (RFO) Rajashekar, Assistant RFO Venugopal, staff member Shivu, and contractor Prakash under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — 105, 211, 238(3)(5).
Sanket Poovaiah Netravathi, President of the Karnataka State Forest Department Daily Wage Workers’ Association, has condemned the incident and demanded justice for Gopal’s family. He emphasized the urgent need to expose the darker realities inside the forest department and hold those responsible accountable.
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