CHITRADURGA: Fear gripped Hiriyur town and some villages bordering Tumakuru district after a wild tusker killed a pregnant woman at Balaghatta village and attacked two people on Sunday.
Though forest and police officials made efforts to drive back the tusker towards Bukkapattna forest area, it entered Kattehole range and hid inside the forest.
However, the officials are making relentless efforts to drive away the jumbo to the forest. Some villagers around Kattehole forest area were hesitant to venture out of their houses even during broad daylight after the incident.
The wild tusker which strayed into Hiriyur from the Bukkapattna forest area of Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru created ruckus in Hiriyur by damaging some properties at Basaveshwara Nagar, Bilal Nagar, Naganayakanahatti and other areas. Later, it moved towards Vanivilas Sagar Dam.
On the way to the dam, the tusker attacked Thimmakka (22), a pregnant woman, at Balaghatta village when she came out of her house to fetch water in the morning.
It also attacked Neelamma at Baramagiri village and a two-wheeler rider Mohan at Siddappana Vajra in Kattehole forest area.
The wild jumbo which entered into the dam, took a bath and roamed freely in the Chatrigudda area near Kattehole forest. Forest officials blamed people for scaring the animal. DCF Chandrashekhar Nayak said `5 lakh will be paid to kin of the victim.