Forest Officer Surrounded by an Aggressive Mob for Four Hours Yet Successfully Handled the Situation
Bhopal / Umaria – On the night of 24.05.2026, between approximately 2:30 AM and 3:00 AM, a tragic incident occurred in Kherwa Tola village under the Panpatha Buffer Range, where a tiger entered a house, resulting in the death of a woman and seriously injuring another person. Upon receiving information about the incident, Range Officer Pataur, Ms. Anju Verma, along with her staff, immediately reached the spot under the directions of senior officials to assist in shifting the injured to the hospital and support the rescue operation of the tiger present inside the house.
A large number of villagers had gathered at the site, and the situation had become extremely tense. During this time, the villagers became agitated and attacked the forest staff present at the spot with sticks and stones. Several forest personnel were injured in the attack and were forced to retreat to save their lives.
The aggressive mob surrounded Range Officer Ms. Anju Verma for nearly four to five hours, during which she also faced misbehavior and physical assault. Despite the extremely difficult and risky circumstances, Ms. Verma displayed remarkable courage, patience, and presence of mind while continuously maintaining dialogue with the villagers. She played a crucial role in establishing coordination between the administration and the villagers, helping to bring the situation under control. At the same time, she demonstrated exceptional bravery by ensuring both her own safety and the management of the tiger present at the site of the incident.
During the incident, several forest staff members were seriously injured after being assaulted by villagers with sticks. Considering the courage, dedication to duty, leadership qualities, and continuous communication efforts displayed by Ms. Anju Verma under such challenging conditions, the Field Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve honoured her with a cash award of ₹25,000.
Ms. Anju Verma belongs to the 2016 batch of Range Officers. During her service, she has served in Khawasa Range (South Seoni Territorial Forest Division) and Shahgarh Range (North Sagar Territorial Forest Division). She is currently posted in the Pataur Range of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
The management of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve appreciates her courageous act and wishes her a bright future.
