A tragic elephant attack in Odisha’s Bolangir district has sparked serious allegations against forest department officials, with the family of the deceased claiming harassment and intimidation amid prolonged delays in compensation. The incident occurred in December last year in the Bangomunda range area, where Mandar Putel of Sanbanki village was killed in a wild elephant attack.
As per government norms, families of victims killed in elephant attacks are entitled to Rs 10 lakh in compensation. However, Mandar Putel’s husband, Satyanand Putel, alleged that only Rs 1 lakh has been released so far, despite repeated visits to forest department offices over several months.
Satyanand further alleged that instead of receiving support, he has faced harassment and threats from the concerned range officer. To support his claims, he reportedly carried out a sting operation involving Bangomunda Range Officer Padmanabh Kumbhar, which allegedly captured threatening remarks and doubts raised over the incident.
The allegations have triggered outrage in the district, which has seen multiple cases of human–elephant conflict in recent years. Locals and activists are demanding timely compensation, transparency, and accountability from authorities. No official response has yet been issued by the forest department. Further details are awaited.
