Indore, July 28: The Indore district administration has directed the forest department to take action against those responsible for the presence of elephants in urban areas. This order comes after an auto-rickshaw driver was killed in an elephant attack in the Chandan Nagar area of the city.
In an official directive issued to the Divisional Forest Officer of the General Forest Division, Collector Shivam Verma instructed that action be taken under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and other applicable laws against the responsible parties.
The Collector also emphasized the need for preventive measures to ensure such incidents do not recur and requested a report on the actions taken by the department.
Verma stated, “It has been frequently observed that elephants are increasingly entering urban areas. Consequently, a recent incident in the Chandan Nagar police station jurisdiction resulted in the death of an individual. Immediate action should be taken against those responsible under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and necessary preventive measures must be ensured to avoid future occurrences.”
This directive follows the tragic death of 49-year-old auto-rickshaw driver Vijay Holkar, who was attacked by an elephant in the Rajnagar area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chandan Nagar police station.
According to police reports, the elephant was brought to Indore by a sadhu from the neighboring Ujjain to participate in a religious event. After the event, as the animal was being taken away from the Rajnagar area, Holkar approached it to offer jaggery.
The elephant suddenly became aggressive, wrapping its trunk around Holkar, throwing him to the ground, and crushing him, resulting in severe injuries. He was initially taken to the district hospital and later shifted to another medical center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The incident has caused panic among local residents and was captured on CCTV footage. Reports indicate that the sadhu and his associates fled the scene immediately after the incident.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotia stated that an investigation has begun, and the mahout has been detained for questioning. He mentioned that a case may be filed against the elephant’s handler, warning that the unauthorized presence of the animal in a densely populated residential area could have led to an even more serious tragedy. Further investigations are ongoing.
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