Forest officials in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district gun down one tribal youth, while injuring 3 others on Monday, 9 August 2022.
Photo accessed by The Quint.
A 33-year-old man was killed while three others were injured after forest officials in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh fired at them while they were allegedly chopping wood illegally in the Dakshin Lateri forest range on 9 August.
The victims were perceived to be a ‘threat to life,’ officials claimed. The deceased has been identified as Chain Singh Bhil.
Speaking to The Quint, Rajveer Singh, Divisional Forest Officer of Vidisha said:
However, the tribals claimed that they were returning from the forest after collecting wood when the forest officials fired at them, killing Chain Singh on the spot.
Madhya Pradesh’s home minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday, 10 August, informed the media that a case under section 302 (punishment for murder) has been registered against the officials involved in the gunfight and a judicial enquiry has been ordered by the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
Mishra further announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased and a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to those injured.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)