india

Updated: Nov 02, 2019 22:39 IST

A wage labourer was trampled to death by an elephant in North Bengal’s Daranipur tea garden area on Saturday. This is the fourth such incident in a week.

Rajesh Santal (35) was loading stone boulders on a truck for a road project, when a wild herd emerged from the Diana forest. While other labourers managed to flee, Santal (35) died on the spot when an elephant smashed his head.

Five days ago three people, including a couple, were killed in a similar incident.

On the night of October 28, Gaona Oraon (30) and his wife Kumari Oraon (28), residents of Depot Line and workers of Jadavpur Tea Estate, were trampled to death by an elephant when they were returning home after watching a musical programme at Ramshai in the Mainaguri police station area. Gobinda Roy (22), a mason and resident of Kalimati village under Ramsahi gram panchayat, was also killed while he was returning home.

The incidents triggered agitation leading to villagers locking the office of a range wildlife squad that day. Normalcy was restored only after Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel were deployed and foresters assured compensation to the bereaved families. On Saturday too agitated villagers demonstrated in front of the Diana forest range office, demanding compensation for Santal’s family.

Subhendu Das, ranger of Diana forest range, reached the spot with police and SSB personnel and pacified the villagers. “Adequate compensation will be given to the bereaved family,” he said.

Herd of elephants often stray near human habitations and damage property in this area falls, which under the jurisdiction of Nagrakata police station in Jalpaiguri district.

The spot where Santal was killed is close to the area where an elephant was hit by a passenger train on the morning of September 27. The elephant suffered major injuries and returned the Diana forest.