A 20-year-old male elephant died of electrocution after coming into contact with an illegal electric fence erected around a paddy field at a village on the city outskirts early Tuesday. Residents of Semmedu village alerted forest department officials about the elephant in the area falling under Boluvampatti Forest range, they said.
Electricity board officials who also arrived at the scene found high voltage electricity was illegally connected to the fence erected around the field of Durai alias Aruchamy, who is absconding, the officials said.
