Villagers Block Road in Kerala’s Wayanad, Demand Justice for Elephant Attack Victim

WAYANAD:
A massive protest erupted in a village in this hill district on Wednesday, with locals blocking a highway with an ambulance carrying the body of a man, who died in a wild elephant attack.

Raju, 52, who suffered serious injuries in the elephant attack on Sunday, succumbed to his wounds on Tuesday while being treated at a hospital in Kozhikode.

Protesters in Kalloor, near Sultan Bathery, demanded that the government find a permanent solution to end the rising number of human-wild animal conflicts in Wayanad.

They also expressed their anger towards Minister O.R. Kelu, who arrived at the scene to meet the victim’s family.

The protesters demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Raju’s family and a permanent government job for his son.

On Sunday, at around 8.45 pm, Raju was attacked by a wild elephant while walking home from his farm.

The elephant, which was standing near the field, suddenly turned and attacked Raju, causing injuries to his abdomen and legs.

Earlier this year, Kerala witnessed fatalities due to wild elephant attacks.

The victims included Paul, a 50-year-old forest watcher, Aji, a 42-year-old resident of Wayanad, Lakshmanan, a 65-year-old estate watcher, all from Wayanad, and Indira Ramakrishnan, a woman from Idukki district.