Coffee grower killed in elephant attack in Kodagu; villagers protest

Madikeri: A coffee grower was killed in a wild elephant attack in Kakooru village near Srimangala in Kodagu Wednesday, triggering protests by villagers who held the forest department responsible.The deceased was identified as Mookalamada Rattu, 52. He was reportedly on his way to his coffee estate early in the morning when an elephant attacked him inside a plantation.Villagers rushed Rattu to the Kutta Govt Hospital, but he died, authorities said.As news of the death spread, residents from Srimangala and nearby areas gathered at the hospital and staged a protest, alleging that the forest department had failed to prevent repeated elephant incursions. Protesters expressed anger over the growing human-elephant conflict in the region.DCF (Virajpet) Jagannath and other forest officials reached the hospital and held talks with the protesters.Villagers demanded Rs 50 lakh as compensation for Rattu's family and refused to allow the post-mortem unless the amount was paid immediately. Officials said govt procedures had to be followed, but protesters insisted on on-the-spot payment.After negotiations, the forest department handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh as the first instalment of compensation. Officials said the remaining amount would be transferred to the family's bank account within a week. The post-mortem was conducted after this.Rattu is survived by his wife and son. His body was later handed over to the family.Forest officials said an operation to drive the elephant back into the forest was launched in the afternoon. Around 60 personnel from Thithimathi, Ponnampet and Srimangala were deployed. Officials also said steps would be taken to address villagers' demands, including the construction of a railway barricade.
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