Coimbatore/Madurai: Cumbum town in Theni district, Tamil Nadu, went on high alert on Saturday as hundreds of police officers and guards were deployed to tackle a rogue tusker that had recently caused havoc in neighboring Kerala. Prohibitory orders were issued, directing residents to stay indoors until May 30, while vehicular movement in Cumbum town was suspended.
At around 6:30 am, the tusker known as Arisikomban, previously infamous in Kerala as the “Arikomban” or “rice eater,” appeared in Cumbum, triggering panic among onlookers. The elephant charged at people, causing a motorist to fall from his vehicle, but forest officials managed to save him. The tusker also damaged a forest range officer’s vehicle and an autorickshaw. Responding to requests from forest officials, Theni collector Shajeevana promptly issued the prohibitory orders in Cumbum, citing the potential danger to human life posed by the elephant’s movements.