Old man failed to run away after seeing elephant, lost his life due to attack

Pithora: An old man was beaten to death by an elephant while extracting fish from a net in a field in Khurdaraha of Bade Sajapali beat under Basna forest range of the district. Two companions of the deceased had a narrow escape from the elephant attack. According to the information received from the sources of the Forest Department, the movement of wild elephants continues in the area. On Thursday night at around 8 pm, three deceased villagers, Ramlal, Thursdayru and Halesh Ram of village Khurdarha of Basna forest range, had gone fishing in the ridge of their farm to take out the fishes stuck in the net, when a herd of elephants was passing by there. Seeing which all the three villagers started running towards the village. Ramlal’s father Baliram Jangade (62) being old, could not run away fast and the elephant picked up Ramlal with his trunk and threw him there. Due to which Ramlal died on the spot.

Guruvaru and Hulas, the companions of the deceased who were directly witnessing the incident, informed the villagers about the incident. After this the villagers informed the forest department about the incident. Immediately after the information, Forest Range Officer of Basna SR Nirala reached the spot with his team, chased the elephants away from the village, did Panchnama of the dead body and took it to the sawmill for postmortem. Basna Forest Department immediately gave financial assistance of Rs 25 thousand to the deceased family.

Basna Forest Range Officer SR Nirala told ‘Chhattisgarh’ that at present Rs 25,000 have been given to the deceased family as immediate assistance. Apart from this, a compensation case is also being prepared. Before the incident and even at present, daily information about the location of elephants is being given in the villages through Munadi and an appeal is being made not to go towards the forest at night.