Keonjhar horror: Farmer trampled by elephant, wife consumes poison in shock

In a heart-wrenching incident, a farmer was trampled to death by an elephant while attempting to drive away a herd to protect his crops in Keonjhar district. 

The tragedy took a darker turn when the victim’s wife, unable to bear the shock of her husband’s death, allegedly consumed poison to end her life.

The incident occurred in the Bhuinya Juang Pada forest range, under the jurisdiction of the Keonjhar Forest Division. The deceased has been identified as Debadi Barik, a farmer from Gobindpur village.

According to sources, a herd of elephants had entered Gobindpur late Saturday evening and started damaging standing crops. To protect their harvest, villagers gathered and tried to drive the animals away. 

During the chaos, Debadi reportedly came in the path of a tusker and was fatally trampled. He was rushed to the Keonjhar District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition, but was declared brought dead by doctors.

On Sunday morning, Rukmini Barik, deceased Debadi’s wife, allegedly consumed poison after learning of her husband’s demise. She was immediately shifted to the hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment. Her condition is reported to be critical.

The incident has left the local community in shock and grief. 

This tragic episode once again highlights the rising cases of human-elephant conflict in Odisha, particularly in forest-adjacent districts like Keonjhar, where communities remain vulnerable to such encounters.