Bhopal, November 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two brothers from Morena in connection with the shooting death of a male cheetah at Kuno National Park and recovered the licensed double-barrel firearm allegedly used in the killing.
The deceased cheetah, identified as KNG-22, was 19 months old. According to the STF, the main accused, Bhagwan Singh, confessed during interrogation that he and his brother Preetam Singh had gone hunting in the forest near Nitanwas village in Vijaypur area on October 24.
Bhagwan Singh allegedly told investigators that he fired at the cheetah with his licensed ‘Bharmar’ firearm after spotting the animal in the forest.
The STF had arrested Bhagwan Singh on October 31 and produced him before the Vijaypur court in Sheopur district. After securing two days of police custody, investigators questioned him further, leading to the arrest of his brother Preetam Singh with the assistance of Morena police.
Both accused were taken to the incident site for further questioning. Acting on their identification, the STF recovered the licensed double-barrel gun from the forest under the Morena forest division.
Police have registered a case against the brothers under Sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2022. The investigation has so far found no evidence linking them to illegal wildlife trade or an organised poaching network.
Both brothers were produced before the Vijaypur court on Monday and subsequently sent to jail.
The incident had triggered a wider investigation after KNG-22 was found critically injured with pellet wounds in compartment number 748 of the Sheopur forest division on October 25.
The cheetah was shifted to a veterinary facility in Jabalpur, where doctors performed surgery and removed five pellets from its body. However, it succumbed to its injuries on October 27.
Following the incident, the Chief Conservator of Forests, Gwalior, suspended four forest personnel, including two rangers, a deputy ranger and a beat guard, for alleged negligence in monitoring and security.
The state government subsequently constituted a four-member STF, while the Centre deputed a high-level team to investigate what was reported as India’s first shooting death of a cheetah in nearly eight decades.
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