A 26-year-old Indian Army jawan, Akash Chauhan, a resident of Shimlas Grant village in Doiwala, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, died after being attacked by a wild gaur (Indian bison) at the Army Education Corps (AEC) Training College and Centre in Pachmarhi, Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh, on the evening of Thursday, 29 October 2026.
Akash Chauhan was serving with the 17 Kumaon Regiment and had been 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.
According to reports and officials, Army personnel were playing football on the parade/sports ground of the campus. Two jawans, including Chauhan, took a short break and sat on the steps along the edge of the ground. A wild gaur suddenly charged from the adjoining forest/bushes and attacked him from behind. Its horns caused severe injuries to his abdomen and chest area, damaging internal organs including the lungs and liver.
Fellow soldiers immediately rushed him to the military hospital inside the cantonment. He succumbed to his injuries on the way and was declared dead on arrival.
A post-mortem examination was conducted at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal on Friday, 30 October, in the presence of forensic experts. Army officials subsequently 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 noted that while herds of gaur occasionally enter the Army campus from the adjoining jungle, this was the first fatal encounter reported in the area. The forest department has initiated a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the attack.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep grief over the loss of the soldier from the 17 Kumaon Regiment. In a public message, he prayed for the peace of the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.
The tragic incident has drawn attention to human-wildlife conflict in the region, where gaurs from the Satpura Tiger Reserve are known to venture into nearby areas, including military establishments. Heartfelt condolences to the family of Jawan Akash Chauhan. Om Shanti.
