Guwahati: A ‘mentally-ill’ individual was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Kamrup district’s Sajanpara in the early hours of Thursday. The inciudent took place under the jurisdiction of the Rani forest range.
The victim, identified as Subal Sutradhar, approximately 50 years old and originally hailed from Barpeta. He succumbed to the fatal attack by the jumbo at around 5:30 am on Thursday.
According to Sajanpara beat officer Samir Ali, Sutradhar had been abandoned by his family due to a dispute and had been residing on the streets for the past couple of months.
“During the early hours of Thursday, the man was walking towards Rani gate from Sajanpara when he encountered the wild elephant. The animal had likely wandered from the adjacent Garbhanga reserve forest. According to witness accounts, despite his attempts to flee, the jumbo launched a fatal assault on Sutradhar. He had been observed roaming aimlessly in this vicinity for the past six months. Following the incident, forest officials promptly arrived at the scene, retrieved the body and dispatched it for an autopsy at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital,” Ali said.
According to Ali’s statement, the victim had previously been employed as a rickshaw puller before being deserted by his family. This incident has once again underscored the escalating issue of human-elephant conflict within the state.