Korba, Chhattisgarh - A paddy procurement centre in-charge was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the wee hours of Thursday, while his wife and a few employees narrowly escaped the attack.
The incident occurred at around 2 am in Kudmura village under the Kartala police station area in the Korba forest division.
Rajesh Kumar Singh, a resident of Prem Nagar Rajgamar and a salesman with the Tribal Cooperative Society in Korkoma, was appointed in-charge of the procurement centre.
As incidents of paddy theft had been reported in recent days, Singh had been staying overnight in a temporary hut at the centre to guard the stock along with his wife Pinki Devi and two to three employees.
A wild tusker entered the procurement centre premises in the wee hours, and while Singh and others tried to drive the elephant away using torchlight and making loud noises, they failed in their efforts.
The forest department appealed to villagers to remain alert and avoid venturing alone into agriculture fields or procurement centres due to the continued movement of wild elephants in the area.
