When his wife Indira served him tea while he was working on their land at Kanjiraveli near Adimaly in Idukki district on Monday morning, Ramakrishnan never imagined that it will be the last time. Shortly after that, she was trampled to death by a wild elephant leaving the septuagenarian shell-shocked. Elephants have been creating mayhem in the locality. But never did he think that one of them would claim the life of his partner one day.
“Elephants have been creating trouble for the last seven-eight years. They take over after dusk and have been destroying all crops,” said Ramakrishnan with his back to the wall of the mortuary of the Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital. That he was in earshot and could hear the blood-curdling scream of his wife made it even more unbearable for him
He was then summoned for a close door discussion with Ministers P. Rajeeve and Roshy Augustine and District Collector N. S. K. Umesh among others. Shortly thereafter in the evening, a tearful Ramakrishnan accompanied his wife’s mortal remains back to their home; that journey in the back of the ambulance being their last one together.
