Tiger kills teacher near MP’s Pench Tiger Reserve, forest dept calls it an accident

A contractual teacher working in a primary school, Manoj Dhruve of Mudiareeth village, had gone to collect mushrooms from the forest when he was attacked by a tiger.

Updated on: Aug 7, 2019, 20:24:28 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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A 24-year-old teacher was mauled to death by a tiger in Khawasa buffer zone of the Pench Tiger Reserve in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, a forest official said.

Pugmarks and other evidence confirmed that Manoj was killed by a tiger. (Image used for representational purpose). (HT PHOTO.)

A contractual teacher working in a primary school, Manoj Dhruve of Mudiareeth village, had gone to collect mushrooms from the forest when he was attacked by a tiger.

“After he went missing in the jungle on Tuesday afternoon, forest department personnel and villagers launched a manhunt. They recovered his slippers and saw blood stains. When they followed the signs and pug marks of the tiger, they recovered Manoj’s body in very bad shape late on Tuesday. The tiger ate almost all the body parts barring his face and legs,” the official said.

Following this incident, there was public outrage in the area. Pench Tiger Reserve field director VS Parihar said, “Pugmarks and other evidence confirmed that Manoj was killed by a tiger but it happened accidentally. The evidence also indicates that Manoj might not have seen the tiger and reached very close to him which led to this attack.”

“It is the first such attack in the area. That’s why we are taking precautionary measures. The villagers have been asked to stay away from the forest for a few days because a tiger shouldn’t get human imprint immediately after the incident. This is meant to ensure that the tiger doesn’t become a man-eater,” Parihar said.

An ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the next of kin of the deceased after completing investigation into the matter, a forest official said.

Recently, the Pench Tiger Reserve was adjudged as the best-managed tiger reserve in India.

(With inputs from Azhar Khan in Seoni).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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