Elephant Tramples Farmer To Death In Odisha’s Dhenkanal

Dhenkanal: A farmer was trampled to death by an elephant in a village of Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Sunday.

As per reports, the farmer, identified as Ranjit Rout of Mangalpur village under Kantabania police limits in the district, had gone to his farm field to check the paddy crop as a herd of wild elephants have been destroying the crops in the village and surrounding areas for the last couple of days.

“The herd is coming at night and feasting on the standing paddy crop and vegetables grown by us in the farm fields near our village. Though some have tried to scare the elephants away with fire and drum beats in the day, the elephants keep coming at night,” said the villagers.

While 48-year-old Ranjit was moving around the farm field, an elephant suddenly charged towards him. Though Ranjit started running to escape, the tusker caught hold of him with the trunk and trampled him. Ranjit died on the spot.

On being informed, a team from Kantabania police station went to Mangalpur and sent the farmer’s body for post-mortem. While the police have registered a case of unnatural death, the villagers have demanded compensation for his family.