Dasara elephant Ashwatthama dies allegedly due to electrocution
Mysuru (Karnataka), Jun 11: Dasara elephant 'Ashwatthama', died due to alleged electrocution in the early hours of Tuesday, official sources said.
The thirty-eight-year-old elephant allegedly came in contact with the solar fencing amid rainfall at the Bhimanakatte elephant camp of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NTR) in Hunsur taluk here, they said.
The elephant was cremated, after a post-mortem was conducted in the presence of senior officials and veterinarians.
Ashwatthama was rescued from Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district in 2017. He participated in the famous Dasara Jumbo Savari procession held at the Mysore Palace premises in 2021, during the pandemic, and also in 2022.
Condoling Ashwatthama's death, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the elephant reportedly fell on the solar electric fence and died, and officials have been directed to inquire into the death and submit a report.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too has expressed grief over Ashwatthama's death.
"The death of Ashwatthama, the elephant who participated in the Mysuru Dasara and won the appreciation of millions of people, is painful. Due to his calm nature and solemnity, he soon became a part of the world famous Dasara, serving mother (Goddess) Chamundeshwari. Ashwatthama's memory will remain forever in our hearts," he posted on 'X'.
ಮೈಸೂರು ದಸರಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡು ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಜನರ ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆ ಗಳಿಸಿದ್ದ ಆನೆ ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥಾಮನ ಸಾವು ನೋವುಂಟುಮಾಡಿದೆ. ತನ್ನ ಶಾಂತ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ಮತ್ತು ಗಾಂಭೀರ್ಯದಿಂದಾಗಿ ಬಹುಬೇಗನೇ ವಿಶ್ವವಿಖ್ಯಾತ ದಸರಾದ ಭಾಗವಾಗಿ ತಾಯಿ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿಯ ಸೇವೆಗೈದಿದ್ದ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) June 11, 2024
ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥಾಮನ ನೆನಪು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾಗಿರಲಿದೆ. #ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥಾಮ #ಮೈಸೂರುದಸರಾ pic.twitter.com/XXqBC9M6q6
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
