Nimati (Alipurduar), May 28: A sub-adult wild elephant was killed on Friday night after being electrocuted by an energised fence set up illegally by residents of a forest village here.

The incident took place at the Nimati Domohani area of the Buxa Tiger Reserve (west) when Prabhu Das Kharia, a villager, charged the fence around his cornfield by illegally hooking electricity from an electric pole. As the makhna (a male elephant without tusks) tried entering the field, it was electrocuted and killed on the spot.

Though Kharia and his family reportedly got rid of the wire, forest officials from the Nimati range, who visited the spot yesterday, found out the reason behind the death. They immediately arrested Kharia on the charge of setting up energised fences by hooking electricity illegally and killing the animal.

After the post-mortem of the elephant, the body has been burnt.

Energised fences are set up by forest officials, but particular methods are followed for it, a source said. Pulsating energy of 8,000 to 10,000 volt is usually attached to the fence, which merely gives a shock to an animal when it touches it. But residents of forest villages hook power from electricity poles, which is of around 440 volt, and that kills the animal immediately, the source added. Justifying his brother?s act, Prabhu Das Kharia said: ?Thanks to frequent elephant raids, large amount of crops are destroyed. Agriculture is our only source of income and we had to make our own arrangements.?

According to L.G. Lepcha, the field director of the BTR, forest as well as electricity board officials had warned the villagers, but to no avail. ?We have arrested the owner of the land. We have decided to construct more energised fences in BTR.?