On Monday afternoon, an elephant assaulted a woodland community in a reserve forest in the Bagdogra area, killing two ladies from that village. Another woman who has suffered terrible injuries is receiving care at a private nursing home.
According to sources in the state forest department, the incident occurred when a group of women went to the forest for fodder near Central Forest Busty in the Bagdogra forest range of the Kurseong forest division.
A tusker allegedly charged the group. 48-year-old Sabitri Subba died instantaneously. As word got out, police and foresters from Bagdogra hurried to the jungle and discovered Geeta Subba, 45, and Debi Tamang, 50, injured. Debi also passed away later.
“In the jungles of Bagdogra and Naxalbari, there is a herd of about 150 elephants that is roving. We keep pleading with the peasants in the periphery to stay away from the trees. However, when these women entered the jungle, a tusker charged at them, according to Harikrishnan P.J., the divisional forest officer for Kurseong.
Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the Bangladesh-India border in north Bengal detained five Bangladeshi nationals from two locations on Saturday for allegedly attempting to enter India illegally. They also detained an Indian “tout” in the process.
Four people, including a lady, were taken into custody in Cooch Behar district by soldiers from the 6th battalion at the Teenbigha border station while they were moving towards Mekhliganj. They are all Ukhiya, Bangladesh, citizens. Along with them, Manil Roy of Jalpaiguri’s Sukantanagar Colony and a suspected tout who allegedly facilitates border crossings were taken into custody.
Each was given to the Kuchlibari police. A resident of the Bangladeshi district of Gaibandha who was allegedly attempting to enter India was apprehended by members of the 26th battalion at the Madhavpur border outpost in South Dinajpur and handed over to Patiram police.
