Wild Jumbo Tramples Tribal Couple to Death in Kannur

A tribal couple was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Aralam rehabilitation land in Kannur on Sunday, sparking protests by local residents that continued late into the night.

- 

Velli, 80, and his wife Leela, 72, both residents of Block 13 at Aralam Farm, were attacked and killed while collecting cashew nuts on their land just 600m from the Rapid Response Team (RRT) office. With this, 13 people have lost their lives in wild jumbo attacks in the state so far this year.

Forest Minister A K Saseendran sought a report from Kannur District Collector Arun K Vijayan on the incident, even as the UDF and BJP gave separate calls for a hartal in Aralam panchayat on Monday. Saseendran will visit the farm on Monday afternoon and chair an all-party meeting at Aralam grama panchayat later in the day. The Emergency Disaster Management Committee chaired by Arun has decided to provide a compensation of ₹20 lakh to the duo's family, of which ₹10 lakh will be given on Monday. The forest department has allocated ₹10 lakh per victim, with ₹5 lakh each set to be released in the initial phase.