Overview
- A wild elephant attacked Sandhya Achayya at a coffee estate in Konanakatte, Kodagu, on June 5, and she died of grievous injuries while being taken to hospital.
- Two people who were with her escaped with minor injuries and Kodagu police have registered a case while forest officials confirmed the attack.
- Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar called the bereaved family, offered condolences, and ordered officials to take immediate steps to curb the elephant menace.
- The death comes after several recent elephant-related fatalities in Kodagu, including a March death of a coffee planter and a May tourist death at Dubare that led to temporary closure of elephant camps pending a visitor-safety SOP.
- Local residents and planters have renewed demands for permanent measures such as secure boundaries between estates and forests, improved patrolling, and long-term mitigation to reduce human–elephant encounters.