Arunachal Pradesh: ASI trampled to death by wild elephant in Lohit

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: A 40-year-old Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Sunpura Police Station in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh was killed after a wild elephant attacked him on Saturday.

The incident occurred near a riverbank when the officer went out with two friends for leisure, police said on Sunday.

Police identified the deceased as Martin Lego.

Lohit Superintendent of Police (SP) Thutan Jamba said the trio encountered the elephant at around 10:30 am. While the two accompanying friends managed to escape, the animal caught Lego and trampled him to death on the spot.

Police registered an unnatural death case at Sunpura Police Station, and the SP said authorities sent the body for post-mortem examination. After completing the legal formalities, officials handed the body over to the family members for the last rites.

Jamba said the post-mortem report is awaited. However, preliminary observations by doctors suggested that the victim sustained multiple severe injuries, including fractured ribs, damage to the diaphragm and punctured internal organs due to the impact of the attack.

The SP added that no previous incidents of elephant attacks had been reported in the area.

He further said he had spoken to the Deputy Commissioner regarding the issuance of an advisory urging villagers to avoid venturing into forested or riverine areas as a precautionary measure.

The District Forest Officer also assured that officials would initiate efforts to locate and capture the elephant.

Preliminary assessments indicated that the elephant might have been injured, which could have triggered its unusually aggressive behaviour, the SP added.

Also Read: Man Killed in Wild Elephant Attack in Bijni, Chirang District