Minister Sekarbabu hands over solatium to kin of 2 killed by Tiruchendur temple elephant

MADURAI: Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department (HR&CE) PK Sekarbabu on Sunday consoled the families of two victims, including mahout, who were killed by Tiruchendur temple elephant Deivanai and extended solatium.

The Tiruchendur Murugan temple elephant trampled Udayakumar, the mahout and his relative Sisubalan to death on Monday on the temple premises.

As per the directive of Chief Minister MK Stalin, a solatium of Rs 10 lakh was handed over to the family of Udayakumar and Rs 5 lakh to the kin of Sisubalan. The HR&CE Minister fed sugarcane to the temple elephant to instil confidence among devotees and enquired about its health with the veterinary doctor.

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Saddened by the death of mahout and his relative, CM Stalin announced a job for the wife of Udayakumar in the HR&CE department, based on her educational qualifications. Necessary assistance was also ordered to be extended to the family of Sisubalan.

Also Read: Tiruchendur temple elephant kills mahout, man who were trying to take photo with her

Talking to reporters, Sekarbabu said Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi had taken the responsibility of bearing educational expenses for the two children of Udayakumar. “It is an unfortunate incident,” he said referring to the killings of mahout and his relative in the temple elephant attack. He assured that the district administration in association with officials from the temple administration, departments of animal husbandry and forest would take adequate precautionary measures to prevent any such occurrence in the future.

The minister updated reporters that the 26-year-old female temple elephant had returned to its normal behaviour after the attack and assured that there was no need for panic. On the contrary, the elephant is not eating properly even days after the incident, he said, over trauma of the horrible at it had done. Doctors have said the elephant is still to recover from the tragedy, Sekarbabu informed reporters.

Referring to a video clip of the incident, Sekarbabu added that the elephant looked calm after it realised its mistake. He appealed to devotees and common people not to approach the elephant as the jumbo would be kept under continuous observation for a week. The next course of action would be decided by consulting authorities in due course of time, he added.

Meanwhile, the minister said senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was apparently on the same Thoothukudi bound flight he came by, shared her satisfaction over solatium being handed over to the kin of the killed.