Bokakhat, Golaghat – A full-grown tiger, a source of terror for over a month, met a brutal end on Wednesday in Dusutimukh, under Assam’s Bokakhat constituency, beaten to death by a furious mob of several thousand villagers.
The tragic incident has ignited a firestorm of criticism aimed squarely at the forest department for its alleged inaction and inadequate response.
The animal, reportedly responsible for the death of a man in nearby Chelek village just days prior, had sent shivers down the spines of residents throughout the greater Khumtai region. Driven by fear and a sense of abandonment, thousands of villagers converged, armed with sticks and sharp weapons, to confront and ultimately kill the big cat.
Outrage is palpable among the local populace, who accuse the forest department of criminal negligence. Despite early morning alerts, only a paltry four personnel were dispatched to the scene, a force deemed woefully insufficient to manage a situation of this magnitude. Furthermore, villagers contend that no attempt was even made to tranquillize the distressed animal. “We were living in fear for weeks, yet the department took no serious steps. This tragedy could have been prevented,” lamented one frustrated resident, encapsulating the widespread sentiment of prolonged governmental oversight.
Khumtai MLA Mrinal Saikia swiftly condemned the tiger’s killing, labeling it “unfortunate and regrettable.” He emphatically called for immediate government intervention and a drastic overhaul of preparedness strategies for wildlife emergencies. Saikia asserted, “The tiger didn’t deserve to die like this, but people were left with no option due to the department’s failure.”
Golaghat District Forest Officer (DFO) Gunadeep Das, who assumed his role a mere two days ago, visited the grim site following the incident. In a brief media interaction, Das confirmed initial findings pointed to the tiger being chased and killed by a mob, adding that a formal investigation is now underway. When pressed on the department’s response, Das vaguely stated that a forest team had been dispatched to tranquillize the animal but had to turn back midway, offering no further explanation for the aborted mission.
While the forest department remains largely silent on the matter, the incident has already ignited a fierce debate, casting a harsh spotlight on the escalating challenges of human-wildlife conflict in the region and the perceived systemic failures in addressing them. Tensions remain high in Khumtai, as residents demand both accountability and the implementation of more robust measures to safeguard both public safety and the dwindling wildlife population.
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