Prohibitory orders imposed in Jharkhand panchayat after wild boar kills one, injures 9

Simdega, Jharkhand: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in a panchayat in Jharkhand's Simdega district after a wild boar killed one person and injured nine others, an official said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Pithra panchayat, around 140 km from the state capital Ranchi, when villagers were preparing to celebrate Holi on Tuesday morning.

"A wild boar attacked the gathering, killing one person and injuring six others. Later it caused injuries to three more people," Forest Range Officer S S Chaudhary.

Simdega Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) Sumant Tirkey said that the prohibitory orders were imposed in the panchayat as a precautionary measure.

"The villagers may try to look for or chase away the wild boar. In such a situation, the possibility of loss of life and property cannot be ruled out," he said.

A gathering of five or more people has been prohibited under the order. Besides, villagers have been asked not to use loudspeakers or carry weapons or arms.

Meanwhile, Forest Department teams have been deployed since Wednesday morning to trace the boar and drive it to the forest.

Chaudhary said that there was a possibility that the villagers might have injured the wild boar and it turned aggressive, attacking people.

"It is a male wild boar. Generally, male boars are considered very aggressive, and they run very fast," he said.

Out of the nine injured, four have been referred to Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), while four are undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital in Simdega. One injured has been discharged from the hospital, the forest official said.

Chaudhary said the next of kin of the deceased was provided Rs 10,000 as immediate relief, while the injured were given Rs 5,000 each.