The Madhya Pradesh forest department has suspended six personnel and Morena police have arrested two suspects after a 19-month-old cheetah was shot inside the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division, triggering a probe into both the killing and alleged lapses in forest protection.
The suspended personnel include two rangers, a deputy ranger and three forest guards posted in Morena and Sheopur districts. The department said the action was taken over alleged negligence in the discharge of their duties and is examining how the shooting occurred and how armed suspects were present inside the forest area.
Police have recovered weapons from the two arrested suspects, according to an official cited by the Times of India. Investigators are examining whether the seized firearms were used in the attack, while further interrogation and forensic examination are expected to establish the sequence of events and identify any other people involved.
The cheetah, identified as male KNG22, was found critically injured in compartment No. 748 of the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division on October 25. An initial X-ray showed multiple foreign bodies lodged at different locations in its body. Five firearm pellets were later extracted during emergency surgery.
Following consultations with veterinary experts, KNG22 was shifted to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur for specialised treatment. A CT scan found extensive damage to the animal’s internal organs, musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Despite emergency surgery and intensive care, the cheetah died early on October 27.
The state government has constituted a Special Task Force comprising forest and police officers to investigate the shooting. The inquiry is examining both the alleged perpetrators and the field-level conditions that may have allowed the incident to take place within a forest division. The suspensions mark the first major departmental action reported after the cheetah’s death.
The case has also led to demands from wildlife activists for an independent investigation. Ajay Dubey has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry and called for the removal of Kuno’s field director and divisional forest officer, questioning how a young cheetah could be shot inside a protected forest area. These demands form part of the wider response to the incident and have not been presented as findings of the official investigation.
KNG22’s death has reduced India’s cheetah population to 58, according to the forest department. Of these, 52 are in Kuno National Park, four are in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and two are in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve. The STF investigation, supported by forensic examination and questioning of the arrested suspects, is expected to determine responsibility for the shooting and clarify the alleged security and supervisory failures.
