Industries Minister P. Rajeeve has said that the death of a woman in an elephant attack near Adimali on Monday is a matter of grave concern. He extended his sympathies to the family of the deceased and said the government was already looking to adopt steps to end man-animal conflicts in several parts of the State. A committee had recently visited Wayanad to study the situation. Compensation to the family would be paid quickly, he said in Kochi on the sidelines of a programme organised by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) on Monday.
The Minister also condemned the incident in which “people in responsible positions tried to take political advantage of the death” and attacked the mortuary where the post-mortem was under way. The unruly group also snatched the body, said Mr. Rajeeve.
He said the incident set a bad precedent, showed a lack of respect for the deceased and created a law and order situation. The family of the deceased was still at the hospital and did not participate in the actions of the people’s representatives. It was an act of disrespect to the sentiments of the relatives of the person who met a tragic death, he added.