Hazaribag: A 71-year-old man was trampled to death by a herd of elephants at Bedmakki village in Hazaribag district early Friday, marking the fifth such fatality this month and the 12th this year, officials said.Shankar Pandit had stepped out of his house around 5 am to answer nature’s call when he encountered a herd of nearly 25 elephants, villagers said. The animals have been moving through villages and forests along Barakar river for the past two to three days. Pandit died on the spot.Raghu Pandit, who witnessed the attack, alerted village head representative Sitaram Pandit, who informed police and the forest department.Officer in-charge of Chalkusha police station Narendra Kumar Pandey and ASI Malik Murmu reached the spot with forest officials. The forest team included Rakesh Kumar, Anand Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Sikandar Kumar and Aman Kumar. After an inquest, the body was sent to Barhi sub-divisional hospital for autopsy and later handed over to the family, police said.Forest officials gave the bereaved family Rs 1 lakh as immediate ex gratia. The remaining compensation will be released after the official formalities are completed.Zila parishad member Savita Singh, pramukh representative Deepak Choudhary and other public representatives visited the village and assured the family of assistance.The herd has also damaged standing crops while moving through settlements along the Barakar, causing panic in Chalkusha, Barkatha and adjoining areas. Forest officials advised residents not to venture alone into forests or fields and to keep a safe distance from the elephants.Pandey said a forest team was tracking the herd and trying to steer it away from populated areas. Officials are monitoring the herd’s movement through the region.Local representatives said elephant movement had become a recurring threat and demanded that the herd be driven towards safer forest areas. They threatened an agitation against the forest department if immediate measures were not taken.
