Forest team attacked during anti-encroachment drive in Dewas:100 villagers pelt stones, vehicles vandalised; 6 staff injured

Forest Department personnel who had gone to remove encroachments in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district were attacked by villagers. Several vehicles, including a JCB machine, were vandalised and a drone was also destroyed. Forest staff fled through nearby fields to save themselves. Six employees were injured in the attack. A drone video showing the officials running for safety has also surfaced. The incident took place at around 11:30 am on Saturday in Compartment No. 94 of the Kamlapur Beat under the Jinwani Forest Range. Police have started an investigation into the matter. According to officials, forest staff from five forest ranges and a police team from Kamlapur police station had reached the site to carry out an anti-encroachment drive. Villagers from Bhilamla village opposed the action and began pelting stones at the team. Those injured in the attack include Forest Guards Mohan Panchonia, Jyoti Jat, Kamal Rana, Devkaran Malviya and Suraj, along with Forester Kamal Parmar and Jinwani Range Assistant K.K. Parmar. The injured were admitted to Kamlapur Primary Health Centre and RR Hospital in Chapda for treatment. See, 4 pictures… Stone pelting came from all sides, we had no time to react Injured forest employee Jyoti Karma said the team did not even get a chance to react. “Suddenly, stones started coming from all directions and continued raining down on us. My colleague, Forester Kamal Parmar, was hit on the head by a stone and suffered serious injuries. He was bleeding heavily from the head,” she said. Jyoti said she was trying to move Kamal Parmar to a safe location with the help of other colleagues when she too was struck on the head by a stone. “Somehow we managed to escape on a motorcycle. The villagers were specifically targeting us with stones and we were surrounded from all sides,” she said. Villagers continued stone pelting for 30 minutes According to Jyoti Karma, most of the injured forest personnel suffered head injuries. She said villagers continued pelting stones and attacking the team with shepherd slings for nearly 30 minutes. “Anyone who came into view was surrounded and targeted with stones aimed at the head,” she alleged. Encroachment was made for farming on forest land Forest Department SDO Vikas Mahore said the team had gone to Bhilamla village in the Kamlapur area to remove encroachments from forest land. According to him, villagers had illegally occupied government forest land for cultivation purposes. The area is located close to the village, where farming was allegedly being carried out on government land. More than 100 villagers attacked 70 forest personnel The operation was being led by Bagli SDO Ankit Jamod. As stone pelting intensified, he took shelter inside his vehicle. After stones hit the vehicle, he moved to a safer location. Jamod said around 70 forest personnel from seven ranges had participated in the anti-encroachment drive. More than 100 villagers allegedly attacked the team with stones. He added that the Forest Department’s drone was also destroyed during the attack. Of the six injured personnel, two are in serious condition and were referred from Chapda to the District Hospital in Dewas for further treatment.