Two Central Reserve Police Force men were trampled to death by a wild elephant in Ramanagara district on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday, reported The Indian Express. It is not clear what had agitated the animal. The incident took place at a training camp in Taralu village.
The victims have been identified as Dakshina Murthy, 52, and Puttappa Lamani, 33. The animal is believed to have attacked Murthy when he had gone into the forest to relieve himself on Sunday morning. He died on the spot. Lamani got injured when he rushed to help Murthy. He succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
A report by The Times of India quoted an unidentified official who said the elephant had fallen into a trench and suffered injuries, which is why the animal was agitated. The training camp is located next to the Kaggalipura range of the Bannerghatta National Park.
“We got to know that a tusker was coming back to Bannerghatta National Park from Savanadurga in Magadi, which is the usual corridor elephants in the region use,” said Dipika Bajpai, deputy conservator of forests (Bengaluru Urban). “Two days ago, we had found dung remains of a tusker near BM Kaval and Tataguni areas, which could be of the same tusker.”
Inspector General of Police Seemanth Kumar Singh said the bodies were handed over to the victims’ families after postmortem examinations. “We inspected the spot and asked the district administration to take precautionary measures,” Singh said. “Trenches have to be dug and fences erected to prevent wild elephants from entering the training camp.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!