Nilgai kills seven-year-old boy, injures parents on motorcycle in Palamu
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, October 24: A seven-year-old boy was killed and his parents injured after an adult nilgai rammed their…
Sakender Sharma, injured in the nilgai collision, receives treatment at MMCH, Daltonganj, on Friday night.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, October 24: A seven-year-old boy was killed and his parents injured after an adult nilgai rammed their motorcycle in Palamu district on Friday evening, police and hospital sources said.
The deceased has been identified as Risham Kumar. He was travelling with his father, Sakender Sharma, 34, and mother, Reena Devi, 28, from Daltonganj to their native village, Pakariya, under the Nawa Jaipur police station limits.
According to Nawa Jaipur police station officer-in-charge Satish Kumar Gupta, the incident occurred around 6.30 pm on October 23 when a nilgai suddenly rushed towards the motorcycle and struck it violently. The impact killed the child on the spot.
Sharma sustained head injuries, while Reena suffered minor injuries. However, she went into shock after learning of her son’s death, hospital sources at Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH), Daltonganj, said. Local police took the injured family members to the hospital at around 8.30 pm.
Second Fatal Nilgai Collision in Palamu in 22 Months
Sources said the incident was the second reported human fatality involving a nilgai on a road in Palamu in about 22 months, beginning January 2025.
In January 2025, a youth in his early twenties, Sidharth Kumar alias Golu, was killed in a similar incident on the Japla road in Hussainabad. He was riding a motorcycle when an adult nilgai struck his vehicle, with its horn piercing his chest, sources recalled.
The Medininagar Forest Division had paid the bereaved family ₹4 lakh as ex gratia relief, according to sources.
The latest incident has again drawn attention to the risks posed by nilgai crossing roads. Sources pointed to a pattern of collisions between the animals and road users, rather than direct human-wildlife conflict.
Forest Department Orders Inquiry
Commenting on the October 23 incident, Medininagar Divisional Forest Officer Satyam Kumar said he had immediately instructed the concerned ranger and forest guards to look into the case involving the nilgai under the Nawa Jaipur police station limits.
“Nilgais do come on the roads. I had found them standing at the far end of Chakar Bhonga road some time ago,” Kumar said, adding that the animals’ behaviour could be unpredictable.
Forest sources said nilgais generally do not attack humans unless they feel threatened or cornered.
In another incident in August 2026, Hariharganj police station officer-in-charge Deobrat Poddar narrowly escaped a sudden attack by a nilgai on National Highway 39. The animal jumped onto the bonnet of the moving SUV in which the police officer was travelling beside the driver, causing extensive damage to the vehicle.
Poddar was on his way to attend a district task force meeting on mining chaired by Palamu Deputy Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat.
Wildlife Compensation Raised to ₹10 Lakh
The state Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has increased the ex gratia compensation for human deaths caused by wildlife from ₹4 lakh to ₹10 lakh, under a Sankalp dated June 29, 2026, according to a copy of the order available with this correspondent.
Under the revised provisions, ₹1 lakh in cash must be paid to the bereaved family within three days of the incident. A further ₹4 lakh is to be paid by cheque after the family submits the post-mortem examination report and death certificate.
The remaining ₹5 lakh is to be placed in a term deposit receipt (TDR) in the name of the deceased’s next of kin, or as otherwise decided by the bereaved family. The deposit is to remain locked in a nationalised bank for five years from the date of issue, according to the departmental order.
The revised compensation structure is intended to provide immediate financial assistance to bereaved families while securing the remaining amount for their longer-term needs.
