SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Nov. 5: A herd of elephants trampled an intellectually disabled villager, Biju Prajapati in Tulbul village under Gomia block, around 58.6 km away from Bokaro district headquarters.
Biju Prajapati (58) had been missing for the last two days. When villagers started searching for him, his body was found in a nearby forest on the afternoon of Thursday.
Vimal Lakra, Chief Conservative Forest (CCF) Dhanbad-Bokaro, confirmed the death and said that the incident occurred in Tulbul forest of Tenughat forest range. The body was sent for post-mortem.
“As per report reaching headquarters, the deceased was mentally disable. He entered the forest where camping elephants reportedly trampled him”, he said.
Gomia police station officer in-charge Ashif Khan, who visited the village after getting information of the incident, said that Prajapati had left his house on Wednesday afternoon saying that he was going to his paddy field. When he did not return, family members searched for him in the village. Next day (Thursday) villagers in a group conducted a search in nearby Tulbul forest and found his mutilated body.
Forest officials of the Tenughat forest range also reached the village and announced proper compensation as per government rules to the victim’s family members.
Local leaders and former MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto, Madhav Lal Singh also reached the village and demanded compensation payment to the victim’s family.
