A 56-year-old farmer, identified as Umesh, was tragically trampled to death by a wild elephant at Keregadde, near Seethapura in N R Pura taluk on Saturday. According to officials, the elephant had been spotted near Kesave and Nagaramakki for the past four days, causing concern among the villagers. On Saturday, a group of villagers gathered to chase the elephant back into the forest by bursting firecrackers. The elephant retreated toward the forest behind a school, prompting the villagers to return home. However, Umesh stayed behind, and when others went back to search for him, they discovered his lifeless body, trampled by the elephant.
Both police and forest department officials visited the site following the incident. Villagers have since voiced their concerns, accusing the forest department of failing to take necessary actions to capture or relocate the elephant, or to ensure it was safely driven back into the forest.
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