On Wednesday morning, Vijayan, a 47‑year‑old resident of the Panthadikkalam tribal settlement in Idukki’s Devikulam forest range, was killed after a wild tusker known locally as ‘Chakkakompan’ charged and trampled him as he stepped onto a road returning to his farmland from a relative’s house.
Forest officials said the elephant had entered Vijayan’s farmland on Tuesday night, prompting the rapid response team to issue a warning that residents should remain indoors; however, believing the animal had retreated to the forest, Vijayan ventured out and encountered the charging tusker.
Local villagers rushed to the scene after hearing the elephant’s trumpeting and found Vijayan’s body, after which relatives and community members staged a five‑hour protest, blocking authorities from moving the corpse and demanding the relocation of three problematic wild elephants, a government job for a family member, and the removal of illegal fencing on revenue lands that blocks natural elephant corridors.
Munnar Divisional Forest Officer Abhay Yadav and Periyar Tiger Reserve Assistant Wildlife Warden R. Lakshmi negotiated with the protesters, after which forest officials agreed to consider the demands and announced a decision to capture and translocate problematic elephants from the Chinnakkanal region.
Police subsequently shifted Vijayan’s body to Idukki Government Medical College Hospital for a post‑mortem examination. He is survived by his wife, Devi, and four children – Aneesh, Bineesh, Sethu Lakshmi, and Vijayalakshmi.