H.D. Kote: A 36-year-old tribal met his tragic end in a wild elephant attack at Mastigudi Rehabilitation Centre near Bheemanahalli in Veeranahosahalli range of Nagarahole forest in the taluk on Thursday (Oct. 26) midnight.

Vasantha, son of Ramu, is the deceased, who was allegedly trampled to death by a wild elephant when he was guarding the maize crop grown at the land allotted to the family as part of a rehabilitation package.

Following the incident, the women of the hamlet and neighbouring villagers staged a flash protest demanding a suitable compensation to the dependents of the deceased.

“We feel insecure as the wild animals are eating away the crops. We were evicted from the hamlets at Kodagu and Balle and shifted to Mastigudi in the name of rehabilitation, with bare minimum facilities, which appears like a jail,” the protesters alleged further.

The protesters also urged the authorities to fulfil their demands before conducting autopsy of the body. Tahsildar Sannaramappa and Inspector of H.D. Kote Police Station Shabir Hussain tried to pacify the agitators, but they refused to budge.

Finally, DCF and Director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve Harshakumar Chikknaragund handed over a cheque for Rs. 15 lakh as compensation to Sowmya, wife of the deceased Vasantha, from the Forest Department, besides promising a pension of Rs. 4,000 per month up to four years and recommending the Forest Department to provide job for a family member of the deceased.

75-year-old suffers fracture

In another incident at Kadabur village in Nanjangud taluk in the district, a 75-year-old man suffered a fracture in his right leg after he was allegedly attacked by a wild elephant.

Bolaiah of Shettahalli was going to his relative’s agricultural field yesterday morning, when he was suddenly attacked by the elephant. The passersby raised an alarm, forcing the elephant to run away. 

Forest Officer Nithin Kumar and staff rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to KR Hospital in Mysuru for treatment.