Forest guard shot dead in MP; lens on poachers, timber mafia

A forest beat guard onpatrolling duty was shot dead by unidentified persons inMadhya Pradesh's Dewas district, a police official said onFriday.

Police suspect poachers or timber mafia members werebehind the killing of Madanlal Verma in the Punjapura reserveforest on Thursday.

Verma (58) was on patrolling duty in the Choti Taliarea but failed to return home till late evening after whichforest officials launched a search for him, additionalsuperintendent of police (ASP) Rural Suryakant Sharma said.

The officials found Verma lying dead in the forestwith a bullet injury, he said.

Initial probe has revealed the victim had confrontedhis assailants, who fired at him from a country-made weapon,the ASP said, adding the murder may be the handiwork ofpoachers or timber mafia members.

A case under section 302 (murder) of the IPC has beenregistered against unidentified persons at the Udaynagarpolice station, he said.

The police have constituted three teams for tracingand arresting the attackers, Sharma said.

Meanwhile, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Dewas, PN Mishra, said a post-mortem of the victim's body is beingconducted at Uday Nagar health centre.

Efforts are on to accord Verma the status of amartyred forest employee, he said, adding his last rites willbe performed with full state honours at his hometown Ujjain.

The victim's kin will be provided a special allowanceof Rs 10 lakh and a job on compassionate grounds as pergovernment rules, Mishra added.