Death in ‘elephant attack’ creates controversy

TANGLA, April 29: Death of one Soneswar Boro, son of Anaru Boro, of Nanaikhajbasti village under Paneri PS in Udalguri district, near Sonapur in Kamrup district has created sensation as well as doubt in Paneri area.

The father of the deceased filed an FIR at the Sonapur police outpost under Khetri PS, wherein he mentioned that on the request of one Dwijen Kalita of Bharalumukh, Guwahati, Anaru sent his domestic elephant along with its mahout, Rahim Ali, to Kalita’s house, for carrying logs in Magurchilla and Sonapur area on terms that Kalita would pay the elephant’s hiring charges on a daily basis.

The FIR further says that after taking possession of the elephant, Kalita refused to pay the hiring charges on a daily basis and wanted to pay the same on a monthly basis. When Rahim Ali, the mahout, expressed his inability to accept the mode of payment, Kalita allegedly threatened him with dire consequences and even threatened to have him killed. Ali left for Anaru’s house and told him about the change in Kalita’s plans. Anaru immediately sent his son Soneswar to Kalita’s house to settle the matter.

After a few days, when the matter seemed to have been solved amicably, Anaru received a phone call from Kalita saying that the elephant has gone mad, and in the process, has injured Soneswar. Anaru rushed immediately to Kalita’s house only to find the body of his son lying there. When the body was later brought for post-mortem, it was found that it bore many cut marks.

Thus this has led to the suspicion that Soneswar might have been killed by Kalita and his hired goons. Even Anaru has maintained that his son did not die in the elephant attack, but was probably murdered in cold blood.