A 26-year-old Indian Army jawan, Akash Chauhan, lost his life after a wild gaur attacked him at the Army Education Corps (AEC) Training College and Centre in Pachmarhi, Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh, on the evening of Thursday, 29 October 2026.
Serving With 17 Kumaon Regiment
Akash Chauhan was a resident of Shimlas Grant village in Doiwala, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand. He was serving with the 17 Kumaon Regiment and was attending a two-year Chinese language training programme at the Army Education Centre. The centre is located within or adjacent to the buffer area of the Satpura Tiger Reserve.
How The Attack Happened
According to reports and officials, Army personnel were playing football on the parade or sports ground of the campus when two jawans, including Chauhan, stepped aside for a short break and sat on the steps near the edge of the ground. A wild gaur is then reported to have charged from the adjoining forest or bushes and attacked him from behind. The animal’s horns caused severe injuries to his abdomen and chest, damaging internal organs including the lungs and liver.
Fellow soldiers rushed him to the military hospital inside the cantonment, but he died on the way and was declared dead on arrival.
Post-Mortem And Official Response
A post-mortem examination was carried out at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal on Friday, 30 October, in the presence of forensic experts. Army officials later handed over the body to the family.
Sanjeev Sharma, Assistant Director of the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Pachmarhi, confirmed the incident based on information received from the Army. He said that gaur herds do occasionally enter the Army campus from the adjoining jungle, but this was the first fatal encounter reported in the area. The forest department has started a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the attack.
Condolences From Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep grief over the death of the soldier from the 17 Kumaon Regiment. In his message, he prayed for the peace of the departed soul and for strength to the bereaved family to bear the loss.
The incident has again highlighted the risk of human-wildlife conflict in the Pachmarhi region, where gaurs from the Satpura Tiger Reserve are known to enter nearby areas, including military establishments.
