Tragic Elephant Attack: Mahout Killed in Kerala Temple

Alappuzha (Kerala), Sept 1 (PTI) In a tragic incident at a temple in Haripad, Alappuzha, a mahout lost his life while another sustained severe injuries following an attack by a captive elephant. The incident occurred the previous day, as confirmed by the local police on Monday.

The deceased, identified as Muralidharan Nair, aged 53, hailed from Edapponmuri, Nooranad, Alappuzha. He served as the chief handler of Skandan, an elephant owned by the Subrahmanya temple in Haripad.

According to police reports, Skandan, who had been in musth, was kept tethered at the residence of the temple priest for several months. The elephant turned violent around noon on Sunday, attacking another mahout, Sunil Kumar.

Muralidharan rushed to the scene and initially succeeded in bringing the elephant under control. However, the attack left Sunil with serious injuries, leading to his admission to a nearby hospital.

The situation escalated around 3.30 pm when Skandan, while being transferred to the temple, became violent again and attacked Muralidharan. According to a police officer, the elephant pressed Muralidharan to the ground with its head for several minutes.

Other mahouts managed to subdue Skandan and transported Muralidharan to a hospital in Parumala, where he later succumbed to his injuries at around 11 pm. The police have registered a case of unnatural death and have initiated an investigation.

Authorities stated that Sunil Kumar remains in critical condition. Following the postmortem, the body of the deceased will be handed over to his relatives, the police added.

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