JORHAT, Nov 17 - A man was killed and another injured due following an attack by a herd of wild elephants at Bhogpur village under Meleng Beat of Mariani range of Jorhat Forest Division in the wee hours today.
Divisional Forest Officer (Jorhat), Davinder Suman told The Assam Tribune this evening that the deceased was identified as Rajen Gogoi (42), while the injured person is his neighbour Basanta Buragohain (28).
She said that both Gogoi and Buragohain reportedly after hearing the sound of jumbos, went out of their houses to check whether the herd was damaging their paddy fields. They immediately came face-face with the herd and were trampled, Suman said.
Later today, the villagers protested against the department for not being able to minimise the incidence of elephants straying out of the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary and causing depredations.
The DFO said that the villagers refused to accept the body of Gogoi until the Government assured to give a government job to one of Gogoi�s family member and adequate compensation. They (locals) reportedly also did not allow the Forest staff to leave the area. Later, senior department officials including the Conservator of Forests (Eastern Assam Circle) based here, Ranjan Kumar Das and she, visited the site and brought the situation under control. She said that the local people were pacified after the senior officials assured them of writing to the Government to induct a family member of Gogoi into the department under Muster-roll provision. The villagers were also told that the deceased�s family will be given compensation as per government�s provision.
