In September 2025, a violent clash erupted between two tribal communities—the Bhils of Chakari village and Bhilalas of Chhikari village in Bamori tehsil of Guna district, Madhya Pradesh. The conflict centres around nearly 60 hectares of forest land in the vicinity of their settlements.
While both the communities rely on forest for foraging, grazing and farming, Bhilalas are accused of encroaching on the land as the Bhils claim rights to the land, given its proximity to their settlement.
On 9 September 2025, forest officers had called a Panchayat meeting to resolve the dispute. Both sides presented their claims to the land but neither of them agreed to relinquish possession, triggering violent clashed between 300-400 people gathered there with traditional weapons such as bows, arrows, and sticks. The clash resulted in the death of one person and left more than a dozen injured.
Police forces intervened to restore order and later registered First Information Reports (FIRs) under sections related to murder, rioting, and unlawful assembly. At least 16 individuals were initially named in the complaint, and two persons from the Bhilala community were arrested soon after.
The land in question falls under the purview of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, which provides for recognition of individual and community rights of forest dwellers. Both the Bhil and Bhilala communities have reportedly sought recognition of their claims under this Act. However, procedural lapses, lack of proper demarcation, and overlapping claims have resulted in ambiguity over its ownership and use. The affected communities have alleged failure of local authorities to verify and settle claims as per the FRA provisions.
As on 31 October 2025, the conflict remains unresolved, though local administration has initiated peace talks. The case underscores the urgent need for a clear mechanism to verify community forest claims, better coordination between the Forest Department and local governance bodies, and awareness among tribal communities about their legal rights under the FRA.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for customary recognition, prevention of encroachment, and settlement assurance.
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
2
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Grazing, Religious/Sacred/Cultural value
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Land record discrepancies
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Killing
Physical attack
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023
Reported Details of the Violation:
The human rights violations in Chakari village, Guna district, arose from a violent clash between the Bhil and Bhilala tribal communities over forest land. Around 400 people were involved in the confrontation, and the clash turned violent, with participants using sticks, axes, and improvised weapons. One person was killed and over a dozen were injured. At least 16 individuals were initially named in the complaint, and two persons from the Bhilala community were arrested soon after.
Date of Violation
September 7, 2025
Location of Violation
Chakari
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Madhya Pradesh Forest Department; Panchayat and Rural Development Department; Police Department; Revenue Department; District Administration, Guna
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
N/A
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Bhil and Bhilala Communities
What was the action taken by the police?
Arrest
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
2
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
