Khurda: Outraged residents of Nidhipur village staged a blockade in Odisha’s Khurda district on Friday following the death of a 35-year-old man in an elephant attack the previous night.
The deceased has been identified as Sushant Kumar Nayak a resident of Nidhipur village under Haj Panchayat in the Tangi area. He worked for a tent house operator.
According to sources, Nayak encountered a lone elephant on the Haj–Nidhipur road near the outskirts of Kalarajhar village in the Siko outpost area while returning home at around 10:30 pm on his bicycle from Haj village after finishing his shift. Startled, the elephant charged at him, knocking him down and trampling him to death on the spot. His bicycle was also damaged in the attack.
Locals spotted his body the following morning, lying beside the crushed bicycle and immediately alerted the police and Forest Department. However, delayed response from officials prompted strong protests as they alleged that elephants from Nargoda forest frequently stray into nearby settlements, damaging crops and posing a constant threat to lives and property. They blocked the Nayagarh–Puri–Nua Jagannath Road at Haj Chhak, and burned tyres, bringing traffic to a standstill.
“Neither police nor any officials from the Forest Department have arrived. We are demanding Rs 50 lakh in compensation,” his father told a local news channel, adding that Sushant was the sole earning member of his family.
Police and forest department officials later reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters.
