Bhopal: Two women were killed in separate attacks by tigers in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district on Sunday, taking the human toll this year to 21, 6 of which were reported in the last 48 hours.
Victims Mostly Tribal Villagers
Most victims this year have been poor tribal villagers who entered forests or fields near forests to collect seasonal forest produce. Many were collecting mahua or gulli, an important source of income for forest families. In Seoni too, both women had gone to collect gulli when they were attacked. Gulli is the hard seed found inside the mahua fruit after the outer pulp is removed. Tribal families collect and sell it for oil extraction. The oil is used for cooking, soap-making, lamps and traditional remedies.
First Attack in Bijatola Village
The first attack took place in Bijatola village under Barghat police station area. Sevbati Marskole (45), wife of Shivcharan Marskole, had gone to a field near a forest on Sunday afternoon to collect gulli. When she did not return, family members went searching for her. She was later found dead inside the forest. Forest officials confirmed she was killed by a tiger. Villagers claimed the big cat dragged her from the field into the forest.
Second Attack in Jamrapani Circle
A few hours later, another tiger attack was reported in the Jamrapani circle of Kurai forest range. Shanti Bai Kumre (55), wife of Roshanlal Kumre and a resident of Jilapur village, had also gone to collect gulli near the forest. When she failed to return, villagers launched a search and found her body in a nearby forest patch.
The back-to-back attacks spread fear in Bijatola, Jilapur and nearby villages. Officials assured compensation to the families as per government rules.
Earlier Incident: Forest Worker Killed
Among the six recent deaths earlier was Lakhan Singh (29), a forest fire safety worker killed during a foot patrol inside Kanha Tiger Reserve in Mandla on Sunday morning. Singh, a resident of Balaghat district, was part of a four-member patrol team when the tiger attacked him. Officials said such attacks on on-duty forest staff inside a tiger reserve are rare.
