Mananthavady comes to standstill in powerful protest; locals block Mysuru road

WAYANAD: Incensed locals have brought the city of Mananthavady to a standstill after the horrific death of a man who fell prey to a wild tusker on early Saturday morning. A strong protest with big participation from the locals is continuing in the town. Even a large number of women joined the protest. The locals alleged failure from forest officials who couldn’t track down the wild beast.

The locals allege that the forest department has not given any warning even though the elephant has been in the residential area since 4 am. As of now, the locals are protesting in Mananthavady town with the body of Ajeesh Kumar, who was brutally killed by the tusker on Saturday morning.

Prohibitory orders have been announced in four taluks following the incident. Locals are protesting by blocking the roads to Kozhikode, Mysuru and Thalassery.

The protestors even blocked SP T Narayanan on his way to Mananthavady Medical College and asked him to get down from his car and walk his way to the hospital.

District Collector Renu Raju and a police team have reached the protest site. Various political parties are trying to convince the locals but to no avail.

‘Wayanad is being neglected. No forest official came with a response. The DFO is not seen anywhere. The government inaction has been continuing for a long and we the people are left to bear the brunt of the chaos” one protestor told the media.