Sloth bears attack Army men, jawan killed

Kota (Rajasthan): Sloth bears attacked two Army personnel on the banks of the Chambal River in the district, leaving one of them dead and another injured, the police said today.

The mauled body of 19-year old Army jawan Surendra Singh Garhwal was found yesterday evening from a gorge on the banks of Chambal River in Shambupura area, Circle-in-charge, Kunhari Police Station Muninendra Singh said.

An Army camp is being held on the banks of the Chambal River in Shabhupura area of the city. The incident happened when the Army man along with another colleague was walking towards the river yesterday after firing practice.

Singh, who belonged to the Garhwal Rifles, was severely wounded in the attack while his colleague managed to escape and informed senior Army officials, the police said. A joint rescue operation was launched by the Army and police personnel and the mauled body of the jawan was found.

Assistant sub inspector (ASI) at Kunhari Police Station Dharmpal said the body of the Army man was found around 5.30 pm last evening in a gorge close to the Chambal River Wounds on the body suggest that the jawan probably fell into the gorge while trying to escape from the clutches of the sloth bears, police said.

The body of the deceased jawan, hailing from Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, was handed over to Army officials after postmortem at the Maharao Bhim Singh (MBS) Hospital, he added.

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Army officials could not be immediately contacted. Forests in the Chambal region are home to sloth bears, hyenas and leopards.