Cheetah KNG-22 shooting: Two brothers arrested, licensed gun recovered in MP
Synopsis
A 19-month-old cheetah born inside Kuno National Park was shot dead by a man using a licensed gun while it roamed outside the protected area — and the case has exposed a critical vulnerability in Project Cheetah: once these animals disperse into territorial forests, they are largely unprotected. The arrest of two brothers in MP is a breakthrough, but the harder question remains unanswered.
Key Takeaways
Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh were arrested for allegedly shooting cheetah KNG-22 in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh .
KNG-22 was a 19-month-old male cheetah born to female cheetah Nirva at Kuno National Park ; he died on 27 October .
Five firearm pellets were recovered from the cheetah's body during emergency surgery at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur .
The licensed double-barrel muzzle-loading gun used in the shooting was recovered from a forest area in Morena district .
Both accused are charged under Sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2022).
The STF found no evidence of organised wildlife trade or commercial poaching involvement in the case.
Two brothers have been arrested for allegedly shooting KNG-22, a 19-month-old male cheetah, in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, with the licensed firearm used in the attack subsequently recovered from a forest area in neighbouring Morena district, the Forest Department's Special Task Force (STF) announced on Monday, 2 November 2026. The incident has reignited serious concerns about the safety of cheetahs straying beyond the protected boundaries of Kuno National Park under Project Cheetah.
The Arrests and How They Unfolded
The accused have been identified as Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh, residents of Navalpura-Behrara village in Morena district. According to an official statement from the STF, Bhagwan Singh was taken into custody on 31 October during the investigation into the cheetah's death. During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed that he and his brother had entered the forest near Nitanwas village in Vijaypur on 24 October for hunting.
'On spotting the cheetah in the area, he fired at it with his licensed double-barrel muzzle-loading gun and fled from the spot,' the official statement said. Acting on information provided by Bhagwan Singh, the STF, with the assistance of Morena Police, subsequently detained his brother Pritam Singh. Both accused were taken to the suspected crime scene for identification, during which the firearm was recovered from the Morena forest area.
The Investigation: How the STF Cracked the Case
The state government constituted a four-member team comprising forest and police officials to probe the incident. The team deployed an informer network, conducted search operations with a dog squad, and gathered intelligence with the help of Morena Police and the forest divisions of Sheopur and Morena. A case has been registered against both accused under Sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2022.
Crucially, the STF clarified in its statement that 'no involvement of any commercial illegal wildlife trade or organised wildlife crime gang has been found in this case' so far, suggesting the shooting was an opportunistic act rather than a targeted poaching operation.
KNG-22: From Injury to Death
KNG-22, a male cheetah born to female cheetah Nirva at Kuno National Park, was found seriously injured in forest compartment number 748 in Sheopur on 25 October. He was first taken back to Kuno and later transferred to Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur for specialised treatment. Emergency surgery revealed five firearm pellets in his body. Despite medical intervention, the cheetah succumbed to his injuries on 27 October.
Centre Steps In, Project Cheetah Under Scrutiny
The Centre deputed a three-member team comprising officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to independently examine the circumstances of the incident and review protection measures for cheetahs under Project Cheetah. This comes amid a broader pattern of concern over cheetahs dispersing into territorial forests beyond the fenced core of Kuno, where they remain vulnerable to human-wildlife conflict and, as this case demonstrates, direct attack.
Project Cheetah, which reintroduced African cheetahs to India beginning in 2022, has recorded multiple deaths since the programme began. KNG-22's killing marks one of the starkest instances of human-caused mortality in the initiative's short history, and is likely to intensify debate over buffer-zone monitoring and the adequacy of existing legal deterrents.
Point of View
But the deeper failure is structural: KNG-22 was shot in territorial forest outside Kuno's protected core, an area where cheetah dispersal was anticipated yet adequate monitoring was absent. A licensed gun — not an illegal weapon — was the instrument, which means the weakness lies not only in poaching deterrence but in the lack of real-time tracking of cheetahs in buffer zones. With multiple Project Cheetah deaths already on record and the Centre now sending a parallel NTCA-WCCB probe team, the programme's credibility depends on whether these reviews produce enforceable protocols rather than another round of recommendations that gather dust.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who shot cheetah KNG-22 in Madhya Pradesh?
Two brothers, Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh , residents of Navalpura-Behrara village in Morena district, have been arrested for allegedly shooting KNG-22 on 24 October. Bhagwan Singh allegedly fired at the cheetah with a licensed double-barrel muzzle-loading gun near Nitanwas village in Vijaypur, Sheopur district.
What happened to cheetah KNG-22 after it was shot?
KNG-22 was found seriously injured in forest compartment 748 in Sheopur on 25 October, transferred to Kuno National Park and then to Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur for emergency surgery. Veterinarians recovered five firearm pellets from its body, but the cheetah died on 27 October despite treatment.
What charges have been filed against the accused brothers?
Both Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh have been charged under Sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2022, which govern the prohibition on hunting protected species and prescribe penalties for violations.
Was organised poaching involved in the cheetah's death?
No. The Forest Department's STF stated that, as of its investigation so far, no involvement of any commercial illegal wildlife trade or organised wildlife crime gang has been found. The shooting appears to have been an opportunistic act during a hunting trip.
What is the Centre doing about the incident and Project Cheetah's safety?
The Centre deputed a three-member team of officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to investigate the circumstances of KNG-22's death and review protection measures for cheetahs under Project Cheetah. The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of cheetahs that disperse beyond Kuno National Park's protected boundaries.
