Jumbo attack: Did CRPF personnel risk their lives by stepping out of their camp?
- Wild elephant attacks, kills two CRPF personnel
- The incident happened near Kaggalipura camp
- It is learnt that the killer jumbo was a Makhna
FollowDid the two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who were killed by a wild elephant near their Kaggalipura camp - that adjoins the Bannerghatta National Park - invited the wrath of the jumbo? Prima facie, it appears, so. On Sunday, victims - Puttappa Lamani (32) and ASI Dakshina Murthy - were killed by the wild elephant when they went for their morning ablution near the camp on Sunday. Puttappa hails from Haveri while Murthy is a native of Velur in Tamil Nadu.
The Central Forces' dog breeding camp where the victims were serving lies just next to the reserve forest. The camp has been completely protected by a thick fence, elephant trenches and solar powered fencing to prevent elephants straying inside the camp. However, the personnel - it is learnt - had stepped out of the camp for their morning ablution near the forest at 6.30 am, and they were attacked by the wild elephant, reports Vijay Karnataka.
The jumbo first attacked Murthy. Puttappa rushed to Murthy's help but in turn was attacked by the elephant. Hearing their cries, the other personnel rushed to their rescue. They fired in the air to drive the elephant back into the forest and managed to save their colleagues from the elephant. But it was too late.
Critically injured Murthy died on the spot while Puttappa died en route to a hospital. CRPF DIG and IGP Seemanth Kumar Singh visited the camp and gathered details. It is said that the killer elephant was a Makhna identified as 'Mac'. Makhna elephants are male elephants but sans the tusk. In the absence of tusk, they use their forelegs - when they are threatened - to attack.
