Jalpaiguri, Oct. 14 -- The carcass of an adult male tusker was recovered from a paddy field in Sukani Basti, under Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri district, on Wednesday morning, with preliminary observations pointing to suspected electrocution. Forest officials believe the incident may have occurred on Tuesday night.
According to local residents, the elephant had strayed from Dayna forest into a paddy field near a residential area, apparently in search of food. Residents spotted the carcass the following morning and alerted the Forest department, prompting officials to rush to the spot and launch an investigation.
Diana Range officer Samya Roy and Beat officer Imran Aslam visited the site to assess the situation. During preliminary observations, forest officials reportedly found paddy and an electric wire wrapped around the elephant's trunk, raising suspicion that electrocution may have caused its death.
However, officials have not yet confirmed the cause of death. The exact circumstances will be established after the post-mortem examination and further investigation.
As news of the incident spread, a large number of local residents gathered at the site. Forest personnel subsequently cleared the area to facilitate the investigation. The Forest department has also constituted a district-level committee comprising officials from various departments to examine the incident and ascertain the circumstances leading to the elephant's death.
Reacting to the incident, Forest minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said: "The repeated deaths of elephants are deeply distressing. People need to become more aware and responsible. Our officials are examining all aspects of the incident. If anyone is found guilty, they will not be spared."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.