In a spot

A woman died after she was attacked by an unknown animal in a forested village of Kawardha district in Chhattisgarh. Based on villagers’ statements the forest department prepared the compensation claim saying the woman was attacked by a cheetah. After verifying the claim, the department headquarters cleared the proposal and the victims’ relatives were paid the amount mandated by government norms. It was only after the case was settled that senior officials at headquarters realised that there are no cheetahs in Chhattisgarh’s forests according to the wildlife census. A letter seeking an explanation was duly dispatched to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kawardha, who is now closely scanning the forests to find a cheetah to save face.