At least three people were hurt when two elephants, which are being used by their mahouts to extort money from people, attacked two roadside shops and a battery-run auto-rickshaw in Birganj upazila of the district yesterday.

Meanwhile, protesting the extortion using the animal, villagers caught one of the mahouts after a hot chase and handed him over to the local union parishad chairman.

Two mahouts with their elephants went to Jharbari village around 1:30pm and allegedly forced people to pay Tk 20 to Tk 40, villagers said, adding, they did not even move their elephants until they got the money.

When villagers protested the incident, the mahouts with their elephants attacked two shops owned by Abdul Jalil and Rabiul Islam, leaving those partially damaged.

The animals later went to the busy road and attacked a battery-run three-wheeler, leaving three passengers of the vehicle injured.

Of the injured, Shyamol Devnath, 32, took treatment at Birganj Upazila Health Complex.

Protesting the attack, villagers threw stones and brickbats towards the elephants, forcing the mahouts to flee the spot leaving their animals behind.

At one stage, villagers caught one of the mahouts Saiful Islam, 28, of Dhamoirhat upazila in Naogaon, and handed him over to Shatogram UP Chairman Kutub Uddin.

Officer-in-Charge of Birganj Police Station Akkas Ali said they have informed the forest department about the elephants, confined by the villagers.