Jaipur: Following the fatal tiger attack on a 42-year-old woman labourer at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur, her family members and villagers staged a protest outside the park on Wednesday, demanding Rs 1 crore compensation, government jobs for her two children and legal action against those responsible for the alleged safety lapse.
The family has refused to allow the body to be taken for postmortem until their demands are addressed.
The Forest Department has offered Rs 10 lakh in compensation and contractual employment for both children, but protesters have rejected the offer and continued their agitation.
A 42-year-old female labourer, Sugna Devi, was killed in a tiger attack at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur on Wednesday morning, triggering a protest by villagers and the victim’s family outside the park.
According to preliminary information, the incident occurred around 9 a.m. at Enclosure No 16, where Sugna Devi and six other female labourers had entered to cut dry grass and carry out cleaning work.
The tiger, identified as ‘Shivaji’, allegedly entered the area after a safety gate was unlocked, leading to the fatal attack. According to eyewitness accounts and preliminary information, seven female labourers were working inside the enclosure when the safety gate, locally referred to as the kral or karal, was unlocked. The women reportedly saw the tiger approaching and raised an alarm.
Five workers managed to run out of the enclosure, while another climbed a nearby tree to escape. Sugna Devi reportedly attempted to save herself by climbing the enclosure’s iron mesh. The tiger caught her leg, pulled her down, and attacked her.
She sustained fatal injuries, raising serious questions about compliance with safety procedures at the biological park.
According to the preliminary account, the gate was unlocked by a forest guard without confirming that all workers had left the enclosure. Authorities are now investigating whether the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were followed before the gate was opened.
The Forest Department has also ordered a departmental inquiry to determine how the incident occurred and whether there were any lapses in supervision or security arrangements.
Following the incident, family members and villagers from Nagal Susawatan village in Jamwaramgarh gathered outside Nahargarh Biological Park and staged a protest. The protesters have demanded Rs 1 crore in financial compensation for the deceased worker’s family, Government jobs for both of Sugna Devi’s children, according to their qualifications, Immediate registration of an FIR and legal action against those found responsible for the incident and action against the staff members responsible for the alleged safety lapse.
However, the family and protesters have maintained that the compensation being offered does not meet their demand of Rs 1 crore and are continuing their protest. Given the tense situation, senior police and Forest Department officials have been deployed outside the biological park.
Officials are attempting to persuade the family to allow the body to be shifted to SMS Hospital for post-mortem examination. Senior Forest Department officials are also examining why adequate security arrangements were allegedly not in place during the cleaning operation and whether all prescribed precautions were followed before the tiger enclosure gate was opened.
The departmental inquiry is expected to establish the exact sequence of events and determine responsibility for any negligence or violation of safety protocols.
(IANS)
