Madhya Pradesh: 2 women killed separate tiger attacks in Seoni

Two women were killed in separate tiger attacks in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district on Sunday, with the incidents occurring within a span of nearly three hours and triggering anger among villagers.

The attacks took place at locations around 60 km apart near the Pench-Kanha Tiger Corridor. Seoni district is home to the Pench Tiger Reserve, while the neighbouring districts of Balaghat and Mandla contain the internationally renowned Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR).

The first incident was reported at around 11.30 am in the Mau Chandiya Pahadi area under the Bahrai range of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Development Corporation's (MPFDC) Barghat division. According to officials, a tiger attacked a woman who was working in a field before dragging her into a nearby forested area.

The site of the attack is situated nearly 40 km from the Seoni district headquarters.

Officials identified the victim as 45-year-old Shevbati Marskole, a resident of the locality.

The second fatal attack occurred at about 1 pm in the Jamrapani circle of the Gorakhpur beat under the Kurai forest range. A tiger reportedly attacked and killed Shanti Bai Kumre (55), another local resident, officials said.

Her mutilated remains were later discovered by villagers in a patch of forest bordering agricultural land, approximately 70 km from the district headquarters.

The two incidents in quick succession fuelled resentment among residents against the forest department and spread fear among people engaged in farming and other outdoor work in the region.

Barghat Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Lalit Gathre said authorities were working to calm the situation and bring normalcy back to the affected areas.

Speaking to PTI over the phone, he said he was present in Dhanoli village under Kurai, while teams from the police, forest and revenue departments had been dispatched to Mau Chandiya Pahadi to counsel agitated villagers.

A large number of residents gathered at both locations following the attacks, and the tense atmosphere prevented authorities from conducting post-mortem examinations of the bodies immediately, he added.

Divisional Forest Officer of the South General Forest Division, Gaurav Kumar Mishra, said officials were collecting detailed information about the Kurai incident.

He said police and revenue department personnel were already at the spot, while senior forest officials had also been sent to supervise the situation and monitor developments.

Ramkishan Solanki, divisional manager of the MPFDC's Barghat project, said efforts were being made to pacify villagers with assistance from police and revenue authorities.

The deceased was identified as Ramdin, a resident of Ramnagar Kalan village under the Bhira police station area, Deputy Director (Dudhwa buffer zone) Kirti Chaudhary said.

Chaudhary said it was yet to be determined whether the animal involved in the attack was a leopard or a tiger.

Following information about the incident, the range officer was rushed to the spot to assess the situation, she said.

Further action will be taken after the post-mortem examination report is received, the officer said.