A male elephant attacked and injured three officers from the Central Training College II of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Battalion, who were on jungle patrol training in the Western Ghats near Madukkarai in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The CRPF Battalion at Kurudampalayam, on the outskirts of the city, has obtained permission from the Forest Department for establishing a camp near Dharmalingeswarar temple in Madukkarai area. The personnel were being trained in jungle night patrolling and ambush operations.
Around 3 a.m., a team of 42 members led by a three member scout party were returning to the base camp on completion of night jungle patrolling. When, the team was marching forward through a channel, a single male elephant encountered the scout team.
Even as the other members of the team fled to safety, the scout party was attacked by the elephant just outside the reserve forest boundary near Arivoli Nagar in Kovaipudur.
Physical Training Instructor M. Prasad sustained a rib fracture and the other two Inspectors Amit Kumar and Deepak Kumar from the Bihar Sector and Cobra Battalion escaped with bruises and scratches. Mr. Prasad was then rushed to the KG Hospital.
DIG and Principal of CTC II of CRPF T. Sekar told The Hindu that Mr. Prasad has been operated upon and was out of danger. The other two inspectors have returned from treatment. District Forest Officer V. Thirunavukkarasu visited the injured at the hospital.
