Siddapur: Elephant herd tramples coffee grower to death

Team Udayavani, Jan 23, 2018, 5:27 PM IST

Siddapur: Elephant herd tramples a coffee grower to death in Karadigodu village limits of the district on January 22.

The victim has been identified as Kukkunoor Mohandas, aged 68. He was returning home after dropping a labourer in his estate when the incident took place.

A spontaneous bandh has been observed in the town after Mohandas’s death. The town is now fearing of elephant menace and blamed the state government for its negligence in resolving the elephant attacks. According to the sources, more than 75 people have lost their lives in the past 10 years and more than 100 people have been injured in the elephant attacks.

State Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai, who convened a meeting of the elected representatives, coffee growers and affected people in June 2017 assuring the affected in the district of a solution, has not responded to their grievances, protestors alleged. The minister who spoke of quarterly meeting with the all the stakeholders to ensure a viable solution has stayed away, without responding to their repeated pleas, protestors stated. The government by releasing Rs 5 Lakh compensation amount shies away from proceeding further, they alleged.