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TN woman trampled to death by lone tusker during trek in reserve forest

A 40-year-old woman was trampled to death by a lone tusker in a reserve forest in Coimbatore, where she, her husband, and friends had gone trekking on Sunday. Her husband and six other friends who accompanied her escaped unhurt.

According to reports, Bhuvaneswari worked as an administrative officer in a private concern in Saravanampatti. She and her husband Prasath regularly went for treks on weekends with their friends. On Sunday, the couple and their friends Vijayakumar, Rameshkumar, Arunan, Sakthi, Mohammed Akmal and Kathiravan reached Palamalai in two cars around 6 am. After parking their cars on the side of the road, the group walked to the Palamalai Aranganathar temple, located four kilometres away. From there, the group began their trek via the Kunjurpathy-Mankuzhi route. Around 7.30 am, they encountered a lone wild tusker on their path. As the elephant charged at them, the group split and ran in different directions. Though Bhuvaneswari tried to hide behind the bushes, the elephant found her and trampled her to death.

After the elephant left the spot, the others in the group alerted the Forest department officials. S Suresh, the Range officer of Perianaickenpalayam, his team and a group of policemen reached the spot, recovered the body and sent it to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.

Suresh told the Times of India that the group were trekking in reserve forest area without necessary permissions. Adding that those who trek in forests without permission will be booked, he said that the Forest department had alerted the tribal settlements in Kunjurpathy and Mankuzhi already about the rogue tusker. The Perianaickenpalayam police have registered an FIR under Section 174 of the CrPC.

Bhuvaneswari is survived by her husband Prasath and two children — Navaneeth and Navya. 

Source: The News Minute