A tiger killed a farmer near Kudwa Colony in Balaghat’s Katangi Range on Saturday, reigniting fears and fury over continuing inaction by forest department officials in tiger-prone zones.
According to eyewitnesses, villagers had reached their fields at 5 am as usual. Around 6 am, the tiger attacked 45-year-old Prakash Pane from behind. He died on the spot, with the tiger devouring the lower part of his body.
One witness said they screamed and fled. Though they hurled stones from a distance, the tiger had already dragged Pane away. It roared twice while settling down with the body.
Locals claimed they had warned forest officials for over a week about the tiger’s presence. They alleged that their alerts were ignored, and blamed the department’s negligence for the death.
Soon after the attack, angry villagers surrounded the local forest outpost. They accused officials of failing to take even basic precautions despite repeated tiger sightings in the fields.
Katangi Police Station in-charge Kaushal Surya said efforts were being made to pacify the crowd. The deceased’s body was recovered. Senior officials, including the SDM and forest personnel, reached the site.
Forest Ranger Babulal confirmed that Pane had deep wounds across his body. The tiger had eaten part of his thigh. A cage has been ordered and a tranquilisation team is being deployed.
Enraged villagers also reportedly assaulted Beat Guard Gulab Singh Uikey. A few days earlier, a goat had been killed by a tiger, but Uikey had allegedly said, “At least it hasn’t attacked a human.”The panchayat has provided Rs 5,000 in immediate aid to the deceased's kin. Further compensation will be given by the Forest Department.