Tusker kills farmer in Athagarh

A man was trampled to death by a tusker at Salijanga village of Badanauput gram panchayat under Athagarh subdivision’s Tigiria block in Cuttack district during wee hours of Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Shyamsundar Mohanty (35). He had gone to collect brinjals from his farmland when a tusker trampled him to death. Other villagers, who had gone to pluck vegetables, managed to drive away the jumbo.

On being informed, forest officers came to the village and gave ex-gratia of Rs 40,000 instantly and assured to pay rest 3.6 lakh rupees as per the compensation provision of the Government.

According to information, a herd of about 20 elephants, while crossing the Mahanadi, created havoc in the Badanauput GP by destroying vegetables in acres of farmlands and killing a villager, Shyamsudar. Villagers alleged that forest officials are not keeping eye on movement of elephants properly.