Jumbo tramples man to death

Udhagamandalam: A 28-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant near Gudalur in the Nilgiris on Wednesday night.
Ramesh, 28, Jayaprakash, 23, and Sivaprakash, 24, all three residents of Padanthurai near Gudalur, were returning home after attending a marriage function. “When they reached Mundankolli around 9pm on Wednesday, an elephant trampled Ramesh to death while his two friends escaped from the spot,” district forest officer (Gudalur division) P K Dilip told TOI.He said, “Jayaprakash and Sivaprakash sustained injuries while fleeing the spot.”
“As it was pitch dark and misty, the visibility was very poor and the trio encountered with the elephant which was on its way. The elephant could not be traced,” said Dilip.
According to the forest official, people in that area have been advised not to venture out late in the night. “Despite having created awareness among the locals, people venture out after dusk and invite problems,” said the DFO.
A team of forest watchers has been pressed into service to keep a vigil on the wild elephant.
An immediate relief of Rs 50, 000 was handed over to the family of the deceased. The balance amount of compensation of Rs 3.50 lakh will be dispersed after completion of procedural formalities, according to Dilip.
This is the second incident of elephant attack in the past one week in the Gudalur division of forests.