Electrocution of wild elephant near Coimbatore: Farmer arrested

COIMBATORE: Forest department officials on Monday morning arrested a

farmer

in connection with the

electrocution

of a male elephant at Varappalayam near Coimbatore on February 12.


The arrested farmer has been identified as M Manoharan, 57, of Varappalayam village near Thadagam. His son, Naresh, is still absconding.

The forest department had formed three special teams to nab the father-son duo who went absconding on February 12. Manoharan returned to Coimbatore from Bengaluru on Monday. One of the special teams led by R Arun Kumar, range officer Coimbatore forest range, arrested Manoharan around 6.30am.

A male elephant, aged between 12 and 15 years, was found dead in a banana plantation belonging to Manoharan and Naresh. The trunk of the elephant came in contact with an iron cable installed around the plantation for solar fencing. The father-son duo allegedly connected a livewire to the fencing which claimed the life of tusker.

Coimbatore forest range officer Arun Kumar booked the duo under Section 9 (Prohibition of hunting) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.