Elephant kills elderly farmer in Sindewahi

Chandrapur: A 60-year-old farmer from Jatlapur village in Sindewahi tehsil was killed in an elephant attack early Sunday morning, triggering panic across nearby villages. This is the first human fatality caused by a pair of wild elephants that have been roaming the Gadchiroli-Chandrapur forest belt for the past several weeks. This is the 26 human casualty in wild animal attacks in Chandrapur district this year. Previously all the victims were killed by tigers.The deceased, identified as Maroti Kawadu Masram, a resident of Jatlapur, was killed in a forest patch under compartment no. 168 of the FDCM Sindewahi forest range around 6.30 am. Deputy conservator of forests (DCF) Rakesh Sepat, Brahmapuri Forest Division, said, "The victim was attending nature's call when the elephants encountered him. One of the elephants lifted him and threw him, resulting in his death. There were no signs of trampling, to suggest the hostile behaviour of elephants."A few farmers heading to their fields for paddy sowing reportedly saw the elephants emerging from the forest soon after. Villagers rushed to the spot and alerted local authorities. Police personnel from Sindewahi police station and forest officials from FDCM sent the body for post-mortem. Following the attack, forest department officials launched efforts to trace and monitor the elephants. DCF Sepat said that villagers in surrounding areas have been warned to stay away from the forest and take necessary precautions to avoid encounters with the tuskers. Other forest officials confirmed that the victim's family has been given ex-gratia aid of Rs25,000.Sources said that by Sunday afternoon, the elephants movement were traced to be heading towards Brahmapuri. The tuskers had re-entered the Saoli forest range from Gadchiroli district on Friday and then moved into Sindewahi forests under the Bramhapuri forest division.This is the second time in 15 days that the same elephants have crossed into Chandrapur. In late May, the duo entered the Saoli forest range after crossing the Wainganga river and even reached the core area of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve before returning to Gadchiroli. These elephants had originally travelled from Odisha through the forests of Chhattisgarh in the second week of May. Notably, the same pair was seen roaming on the streets of Gadchiroli city on the night of May 24.The incident has sparked outrage and fear among local residents. Villagers have demanded immediate action from the forest department to capture or control the elephants and prevent further loss of human life.