Belthangady: Family of wild elephant attack victim receives Rs 5 lakh immediate relief

Belthangady: Family of wild elephant attack victim receives Rs 5 lakh immediate relief

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 3, 2026: The Karnataka Forest Department has handed over an immediate relief cheque of ₹5 lakh to the family of Balakrishna Gowda, who was killed in a wild elephant attack near Rekhya village in Belthangady taluk.

Balakrishna Gowda, a resident of Nelyadka–Idmal near Nelyadi, had gone missing on Saturday evening while returning home from work. His raincoat and wild elephant footprints were found along the route, raising fears of an elephant attack. A search operation conducted on Sunday led to the recovery of his body.

Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Ravishankar (IFS), and police officials visited both the incident site and the victim’s residence to console the bereaved family.

Speaking on the incident, DCF Ravishankar said that the Forest Department had provided an immediate relief cheque of ₹5 lakh to the victim’s family. He added that, under the government’s revised compensation policy, a proposal has been submitted to sanction a total compensation of ₹20 lakh. The family will also receive a monthly pension of ₹5,000 as per the existing government rules.

Meanwhile, residents of Sullia, Kadaba, Belthangady, and Puttur have expressed concern over the increasing menace of wild elephants in the region. They have urged the government to implement permanent barriers and effective mitigation measures to prevent further human-elephant conflict.