People pelt stones at officials demanding capturing of all wild elephants in Kadaba

The attack took place soon after the captured rogue pachyderm was being loaded on a truck for transportation to Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu district

When the Forest Department personnel were winding up their operation to capture an elephant that is believed to have killed two persons near Kadaba, a group of people hurled stones at them demanding capture of all the wild elephants in the region.

According to officials, several of their colleagues as well as police personnel, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were injured and several government vehicles were damaged in the attack on February 23 evening. The attack took place soon after the rogue pachyderm that was caught and was being loaded on a truck to be taken to Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu district.

Seven arrested for attack on Forest Department personnel

Based on a complaint by the Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO) of Panja range, Kadaba police registered cases under various counts, including attempt to murder and obstructing government officials from discharging their duties. Seven persons —Umesh, Rajesh Kannada, Janardhan Rai, Kokilananda, Teertha Kumara, Gangadhar Gowda and Ajith Kumar — all residents of Kembaru village — were arrested, police said.

DRFO, in his complaint, said that a group of persons arrived near Sunkadakatte where the captured tusker was being loaded on to a truck. They insisted that the tusker be moved only after other wild elephants too were captured.

The officer explained that they could not detain the captured elephant for long in the village, and that the operation would resume after leaving the captured animal at the Dubare camp.

The group of men were not satisfied with this explanation. They began pelting stones at the personnel around 9.30 p.m., causing injuries and also damaging government vehicles.