Chennai, Sept 17 (BPNS)

R. Chinnaswamy ( 63), a farmer from Valliyur village in Coimbatore district was trampled to death by a wild elephant on the early morning of Friday. The tragic incident occurred at his agricultural field at Boluvampetti in Coimbatore district.

The farmer, according to local people used to go to his agricultural field at night to stand vigil as wild animals used to destroy his crops. Police at Valliyur told BNS that he was lying down in the agricultural field on Thursday and he was supposed to be attacked by a wild elephant on the early morning of Friday by 1.30 am.

Police said that the body of Chinnaswamy bore injuries on his chest and right leg.

Tamil Nadu forest department officials received information on the attack and immediately reached the spot and took Chinnaswamy to the Thondamuthur government hospital. He was declared brought dead on arrival.

The body was later sent for postmortem at Coimbatore government medical college hospital. Forest department officials handed over an amount of Rs 50,000 as immediate assistance to the family of the victim.

Senior officials said that an amount of Rs 3.5 lakh would be handed over to the family of Chinnaswamny soon as compensation and assistance.

Conflict between man and animals have been taking place in and around the forest area of Coimbatore district and recently also a herd of wild elephants had destroyed crops being cultivated in areas adjoining the forest land.

Wild elephants in herds as well as single tusker or “Ottayan” are coming down to human inhabitations creating problems to the farmers living in areas sharing the forest areas.