Jumbo herd kills one on Dalma fringes

Jamshedpur: A 45-year-old man was killed by elephants at Oppo village in Patamda, on the fringes of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, in the small hours of Friday.

Buddheshwar Singh, a resident of Jarka Tola in Oppo village, around 35km from here in East Singhbhum district, was trampled to death by a herd of elephants while he was guarding his farm around 4am.

Dalma range officer R.P. Singh, Kanderbera forester Prakash Chandra and his Bhadodih counterpart Tapan Kumar Mahto reached the spot after villagers informed them about the incident. "The incident took place around 4am. Singh was alone when the elephants attacked and killed him. Police have sent the body to MGM Medical College and Hospital for autopsy," he said.

The forest department has paid Rs 25,000 to the victim's wife, Shanthi Bala, for funeral expenses. "Another Rs 3.75 lakh will be paid after paperwork is completed. Elephant attack victims are given a compensation of Rs 4 lakh," the range officer said.

On Sunday last, forest authorities had alerted villagers that three separate herds having around 40 elephants were anchored in Patamda. The Dalma range office in Mango had also distributed crackers and torches among them.

The herds had left Dalma last month for their annual sojourn to the jungles of West Midnapore and Bankura in neighbouring Bengal. However, after reaching Dalbhumgarh and Ghatshila, they turned back and started heading towards Dalma via Patamda.

Normally, the elephants migrate to the neighbouring state in August-September and return in January-February. But, the noise of a gun battle between Maoists and paramilitary forces inside the forest forced an early migration.

Elephants had destroyed houses and standing crops in Patamda and also injured an elderly earlier this year. Herds go on the rampage in search of food and damage houses in the process.


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