A tribesman, who was found dead near Kodungarapallam within the Periyanaickenpalayam forest range limits on Sunday (September 13, 2026), is suspected to have died in a wild elephant attack.
The deceased has been identified as M. Raman (60), a daily wage labourer from Colony Pudur, a tribal settlement in the Periyanaickenpalayam range.
According to the Forest Department, Raman went to Seenguzhi settlement to visit his elder sister on Saturday (September 12). He left for his settlement in the evening. Tribesmen and family members carried out searches for Raman as he did not return to his settlement in the night. They found him dead near Kodungarapallam, close to the Tamil Nadu – Kerala border, on Sunday morning.
Forest Department staff from Periyanaickenpalayam range visited the spot and alerted the Karamadai police about the unnatural death. Police personnel and Forest Department staff examined the corpse, which had two injuries. They opined that the tribesman could have died in the attack of a wild elephant.
The body was shifted to the Government Hospital, Mettupalayam, for post-mortem examination. The Forest Department stated that the actual cause of death would be known after the autopsy.
Published – September 13, 2026 07:58 pm IST
