Chhattisgarh villagers held for pelting stones, bursting crackers at elephants after viral video

Raipur: Two men were arrested in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district on Friday after a viral video showed a group allegedly pelting stones and bursting crackers to chase away two wild elephants that had strayed into farmlands.The incident took place in Chhattisgarh village in Gharghoda forest range of Raigarh forest division. The video, widely circulated on social media, showed people venturing dangerously close to the elephants and attempting to scare and provoke them instead of maintaining a safe distance.Acting on the footage, the forest department launched an inquiry on the directions of divisional forest officer Arvind P M. After verifying the authenticity of the video, a team led by range officer Vikrant Kumar identified the accused as Manmohan Rathia and Karam Singh Rathia.Officials said both were booked under relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for allegedly harassing a protected wild animal and endangering its safety. They were arrested and will be produced before a court.Forest officials warned that provoking elephants by throwing stones, bursting crackers or approaching them closely is not only a punishable offence but also poses a grave risk to human life, as frightened or agitated elephants can turn aggressive.

The department appealed to people to immediately inform forest officials whenever elephants are spotted and avoid attempting selfies, videos or social media reels near the animals. It said strict legal action would continue against anyone found harassing or provoking wildlife.