Varanasi (UP), Oct 18 (PTI) An elephant brought for the famous Ramlila in Varanasi’s Ramnagar ran amok on Sunday and seriously injured its mahout (caretaker) after lifting him with its trunk and throwing him to the ground, police said.
The injured mahout, identified as Chaplu, was admitted to the trauma centre of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for treatment, they said.
Ramnagar police station in-charge Sanjay Mishra said the incident took place around 10:30 am at the Panchvati grounds, where the mahout had gone to feed the elephant.
The animal suddenly became uncontrollable and attacked the mahout, lifting him with its trunk and throwing him to the ground, Mishra said.
The incident triggered panic among those present at the spot.
The elephant could not be brought under control till late in the evening and the Ramlila was stopped by the organisers due to security concerns.
The organisers said the elephant was still in the Panchvati Lanka area and a decision to start the Ramlila would be taken after the animal was brought under control.
A four-member team of experts from the Gorakhpur zoo is scheduled to reach Varanasi to help capture the rogue elephant.
The team carrying essential medicines, rescue equipment and a tranquilliser gun to safely bring the animal under control will reach Varanasi under the supervision of the chief medical officer of the Gorakhpur zoo, Yogesh Pratap Singh.
The team from Gorakhpur will coordinate with the local forest department to carry out the operation, Singh said. PTI COR CDN ABN RC
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