Girl killed as elephant enters house, attacks sleeping family
Jashpur: A 17-year-old girl was killed and her mother and younger sister were injured when an elephant attacked their house in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district, a forest department official said Saturday.
The incident took place late Friday night near Ramshama village on the outskirts of Badalkhol Wildlife Sanctuary, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Krishna Kumar Jadhav.
The elephant destroyed a wall of the mud house of Vishwanath Chauhan and attacked the family when they were sleeping, Jadhav said.
Chauhan's daughter Lalita died on the spot while his wife Munni Bai and seven-year-old daughter Varsha sustained injuries, he said.
Police and forest personnel reached the spot after getting information about the incident, he said, adding that Munni Bai and Varsha were admitted to nearby Bagicha Health Centre. Both were out of danger, Jadhav added.
Elephant attacks have claimed four lives in Jashpur district in the past one month. On the night of May 28, a retired BSF jawan was trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Tapkara.
On May 3, two villagers were killed in separate incidents in Kunkuri forest area.
Four herds of elephants are known to be roaming in Kunkuri, Tapkara, Narayanpur and Patthalgaon areas and forest personnel have been directed to keep a tab on their movement, the DFO said, adding that villagers too have been asked to stay alert.
Jashpur shares border with Odisha and Jharkhand, and the dense forest in this tri-junction area is a prime habitat of elephants.
Forest officials from Jharkhand and Odisha have been asked to share information about cross-border movement of elephants, Jadhav said.
Human-elephant conflict is common in thickly forested northern Chhattisgarh which comprises districts of Surguja, Surajpur, Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur, Balrampur and Korea.
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Vijay says no to CM convoy until swearing-in: TVK
Chennai (PTI): TVK chief Vijay declined to accept the police convoy vehicles provided to Tamil Nadu chief minister as per protocol until his swearing-in, the party said on Thursday.
A police official confirmed that the CM convoy vehicles provided to him "as per protocol" following the announcement of the Assembly election results were returned and have not been withdrawn.
The official also said that arrangements were in place for the swearing-in ceremony.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) clarified that its party founder Vijay had "personally requested that the convoy vehicles be returned". In a statement here, the TVK said: "Vijay conveyed that he would accept the official chief minister-level security only after forming the government with a decisive mandate".
Four convoy vehicles assigned to Vijay on May 4 after his TVK secured 108 seats in the Assembly polls returned from his residence following his request.
Even on May 6, the police had deployed security near his Panaiyur residence and in front of the Lok Bhavan here when Vijay called on Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to stake his claim to form the government. Vijay did not use the government vehicle to meet the Governor.
