Rajganj, 12th July: A 45-year-old man lost his life in an elephant attack in Rajganj, on Sunday night. The incident surfaced from Maharajghat of Mantadari gram panchayat in Rajganj block. The deceased has been identified as Harilal Das.
According to local sources, the incident occurred when Das and other locals were chasing the elephant back to the forest. Although the forest department was informed about the matter that very night, the forest workers allegedly did not arrive at the scene.
After the Range officer and forest workers reached the spot on Monday morning, the villagers gheraoed them and started protesting.
Hiren Das, the elder brother of the deceased, said, “Harilal hurriedly came from Takimari Bazar after he learned that an elephant entered the village. Although the locals successfully chased the elephant back to the forest, Harilal went missing. He was later found lying in the field in an unconscious state. He was immediately rescued and rushed to Jalpaiguri Super Speciality Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead.
Although Range officer Neela Rai went to the spot, she hesitated to comment on the issue.