Panic gripped residents of Digapahandi in Ganjam district after a farmer was tossed to death by a wild elephant in the area on Monday night.
The incident took place in a paddy yard of one Suresh Pashupal alongside the Digapahandi-Nimapalli canal road. The deceased, identified as Aalu Lachhei, along with another K Arakhit Patra was resting in the yard to guard the harvested crops. The duo woke up to some strange noise at around 3 am. Assuming that a bull might have broken into the yard to feed on the crops, they went out with a torchlight and cane sticks to drive away the animal.
However, they were taken aback when they found a giant elephant on the spot. Before both could escape, the tusker lifted Lachhei with its trunk and tossed him to the ground. However, Patra managed to escape from the spot and informed Lachhei’s family about the incident.
Locals rushed to the spot and admitted Lachhei to the local Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared him dead.
Being informed, police reached the spot and sent the body to the Brahmapur City Hospital for postmortem.
Notably, the Ratna forest of Digapahandi was home to eight elephants till recently; and now, a herd of 12 more jumbos has joined them triggering panic among locals.