Itanagar, February 22 An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Arunachal Pradesh Police was killed by a wild elephant in the Lohit district, a senior officer said on Sunday.
ASI Martin Lego (40) of the Sunpura police station, along with two friends, had gone to the Lohit riverbank for a morning outing on Saturday.
Around 10:30 am, they encountered the elephant, and while his friends managed to escape, Lego was trampled to death by the animal, Lohit Superintendent of Police (SP) Thutan Jamba said.
A case of unnatural death has been registered at the Sunpura police station, and the body, after a post-mortem examination, has been handed over to his family for the last rites, the SP said.
There have been no reports of elephant attacks in the Sunpura area in the past, the officer said.
Jamba said he has spoken to the District Magistrate to issue an advisory asking villagers to avoid venturing into forested or riverine areas as a precautionary measure.
The forest department has also said that efforts will be initiated to locate and capture the elephant, the SP said, adding that the animal might have been injured, which could have triggered its aggressive behaviour.