A 45-year-old farmer was killed by a tusker in Denkanikottai in the early hours of Wednesday. The victim, Srinivasan of Mekalagoundanur village near Arasakuppam, was carrying vegetables to the farmers’ market in Denkanikottai by foot at 5.30 a.m, when a tusker, reportedly sighted in the area for the past two weeks, attacked him. The man was hurled to his death by the tusker, sparking outrage in the village.
This is the third death due to an elephant attack here over the past three weeks. Earlier, local residents refused entry to the police to collect the dismembered body of Srinivasan. After talks were held and the family of the victim was assuaged, the body was moved to Denkanikottai taluk government hospital.
Last week, in the wake of the death of a woman from an elephant attack, the Forest Department had issued a warning to the residents of Denkanikottai to stay indoors after dark, alerting them to the migratory movement of elephants in the area. In the wake of the last death, the former CPI MLA of Thalli, Ramachandran led protests alleging inaction by the forest department.