Jumbo chase kills poll guard

TT, July 12: A home guard from Jalpaiguri who was posted at Barjora in Bankura district for polling duty died when he fell into a septic tank after being chased by an elephant. 

Kiran Chhetri, 58, was sent with six other guards to Bankura, around 525km from Jalpaiguri, for poll duty. 

 “After the voting was over, the guards went to Barjora police station around 12.35am today. As the police had not arranged for any vehicle for the guards to go to their camp at Barjora College, they started walking,” said Dilip Singh, the Jalpaiguri district secretary of Paschimbanga Home Guard Association. 

“A jumbo suddenly came in front of the guards while they were walking and chased Kiran. He started running and fell into a septic tank of an under construction house. He died on the way to the hospital,” said Singh. 

“We are in touch with the Bankura police and making all arrangements to bring his body to Jalpaiguri,” said Amit P. Javalgi, the superintendent of police, Jalpaiguri.