Rourkela: A 75-year-old man, who spent Tuesday night at a neighbour’s house fearing a marauding tusker, was trampled to death by the same elephant at Dimbatola village under Koida forest range in Sundargarh district’s Bonai forest division on Wednesday morning.The deceased, Jalua Oram (75), lived alone in the village. Villagers said frequent movement of the tusker in the area had petrified him. Seeking safety, he stayed at a neighbour’s house on Tuesday night. However, while returning home around 5 am on Wednesday, he was allegedly attacked by the elephant, which threw him to the ground. He died on the spot.The incident triggered tension in the village, with residents accusing the forest department of failing to prevent the animal’s repeated entry into human settlements. They alleged that the tusker had been creating havoc in the area for three years and had been involved in multiple fatal attacks.Forest officials, including Koida range officer, rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.Villagers said the elephant had been tranquilised and fitted with a radio collar nearly two years ago to monitor its movement. Forest officials, however, said the collar is no longer with the animal as it got dislodged.Following villagers’ demands, officials assured them that the tusker’s movement would be tracked through intensive field monitoring. They also promised to install lighting facilities at key points in the village to deter the elephant from entering habitation areas.After post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family. “The tusker is currently in Toda Reserve Forest under Jamdih section of Koida range, and our staff are closely monitoring its movement,” said Duryodhan Jerai, assistant conservator of forests (ACF), Bonai forest division. “As per government norms, an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be paid to the deceased’s legal heir,” Jerai added.
