Korba, Chhattisgarh: A government paddy procurement center supervisor was killed after being trampled by a wild elephant that entered the facility late at night in the forested region of Korba district in central India, officials said.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. Tuesday–Wednesday night at a paddy procurement center in Kudmura village, an area known for frequent elephant movement. The victim, Rajesh Kumar Singh, 55, had been assigned as the in-charge of the procurement center to protect stored paddy from theft.
According to officials, large quantities of rice purchased from farmers were still stored at the center due to delays in transportation. In recent days, reports of paddy theft had emerged, prompting the Tribal Service Cooperative Society in Korkoma to appoint Singh, a resident of Prem Nagar in Rajgamar, as the center supervisor.
Singh had been staying temporarily at the procurement center along with his wife and two to three employees to guard the stock during the night.
Forest officials said a lone tusker entered the procurement center in the early hours of the night, triggering panic among those present. Singh and others reportedly tried to drive the elephant away using flashlight beams and loud noise. During the attempt, the animal attacked Singh and fatally trampled him.
The other people present at the site—including Singh’s wife and several employees—managed to escape by running from the area.
“The incident was confirmed through CCTV footage. A lone elephant entered the paddy procurement center and attacked the employee,” said Suryakant Soni, Sub-Divisional Officer of the Korba Forest Division.
Forest department officials and local cooperative representatives rushed to the site after receiving information about the incident. Police have registered a case and begun further investigation.
Authorities said the victim’s family has been given ₹25,000 as immediate financial assistance, while compensation of ₹600,000 will be provided after completing the necessary formalities under government rules for human casualties caused by wildlife.
Officials added that Kudmura has long been an elephant-affected area, and forest teams are continuously monitoring the movement of elephants. Warning announcements and elephant response teams have also been deployed to alert residents and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The tragic incident has created fear among villagers and workers in the area as authorities continue efforts to track the elephant and prevent further attacks.