3 forest guards attacked by timber mafia in MP

Three forest guards were brutally attacked by timber mafia in a wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred inside Panna National Park on Saturday.

According to local subdivisional officer (SDO)(forest) Dinesh Singh Gaur, the three forest guards, Chatrapal Lodhi, Swamideen Kushwaha and Govind Singh Yadav, spotted a gang of timber smugglers cutting trees in Vishramgang range under Panna National Park.

They challenged the goons who were armed with axes and other sharp weapons. The forest guards who were unarmed confronted them, leading to attack on them by the timber mafia goons.

Chatrapal, however, somehow managed to escape from their clutches and saved himself by hiding in a nearby bush.

His two other colleagues were brutally attacked with axes by the goons, causing grievous injuries to them. He later alerted his higher authorities about the incident.

Later, the injured guards were rushed to the nearby government hospital.

The condition of two injured officers is stated to be critical.

Three suspects were picked up from the nearby village for interrogation in connection with the incident, the forest officer said.

This was the second attack on forest guards by the goons in the last 10 days.

On February 5, a forest guard, identified as Madanlal Verma (52), was shot dead by the poachers in Ratanpura forest range under Punjapur reserve forest in Dewas district.

He had filmed his own murder on his cell phone camera while challenging the poachers.