A man and his daughter from Jharkhand have been awarded for their bravery after a tiger entered their house in the early hours of June 25. The incident took place in Mardu village under Muri police station limits.

At around 4:30 a.m., a male tiger entered the home of Purandar Mahto. His daughter, Sonika Kumari, a Class 10 student, along with another girl, safely managed to exit the house. Mahto and his daughter then locked the tiger inside the house from the outside and immediately informed the Forest Department.

A rescue team from Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR) arrived at the location and successfully captured the tiger. The next day, it was released back into the reserve forest.

In recognition of their courageous act, Mahto and his daughter were felicitated during the 76th Van Mahotsav celebrations in Ranchi. They received a cheque of ₹1.20 lakh for their bravery, and an additional ₹21,000 for their contribution to forest protection and conservation.

The cheques were handed over by Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, in the presence of Parliamentary Affairs and Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore and other dignitaries.

During the event, the Speaker stressed the importance of planting trees to combat rising pollution. Minister Kishore noted that Jharkhand’s forest cover has declined from 45-55% in the 1960s–70s to around 30% today, and urged people to increase greenery in the state.