Villagers express anger over non installation of rail barricades

Saragur: A Forest Watcher was killed when a wild elephant attacked and trampled him to death near Kebbepura Tribal Hamlet in the taluk yesterday morning.

The deceased is Forest Watcher killed (38), a resident of Kebbepura Tribal Hamlet, who was serving as a Forest Watcher at Udbur Gate in Nagarahole Reserve Forest.

Yesterday morning, Raju was walking from the tribal hamlet to Moleyur to catch a bus when the wild elephant attacked him suddenly and trampled him to death. The elephant had thrown the body of Raju into a roadside pit.

The incident had not come to the notice of anyone until Raju’s daughter saw his body when she was on her way to wash clothes and informed the same to the villagers. She later informed about the Forest officials and the Police.

Soon, villagers gathered at the spot, held the Forest officials responsible for Raju’s death and staged a protest. Village leaders said that there is a increase in wild animal menace in the region resulting in loss of human lives. They further said that though they had urged the Forest officials to install rail barricades to prevent wild elephants from entering human habitats, the Forest Department had not taken it seriously which was resulting in wild animals killing human beings.

The villagers demanded the Forest officials to visit the spot and take steps to prevent wild animals from attacking human beings and also provide compensation and job to the family members of deceased Raju and give a permanent solution to wild elephants menace.

As the Forest officials did not arrive at the spot on time, the irate villagers vented their anguish on them.

The Forest officials who camelater and gave a compensation cheque for Rs. 15 lakh to the dependents of Raju, besides assuring of providing Rs. 5,000 monthly pension to Raju’s wife and a job to Raju’s son.

Project Tiger Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Ningaraju, Project Elephant ACF Manoj, Conservator of Forests (CF) Ramesh Kumar, ACF Paramesh, Tahsildar Rukiya Begum, Range Forest Officers (RFOs) Amrut, Vivek and Puneet, Sub-Inspector Hanumantha Uppar and others were present.