Bhubaneswar: Authorities in Odisha have detained a man accused of attempting to mischaracterize a death caused by a falling tree as an elephant attack to obtain Rs 10 lakh in compensation from the government, officials reported.

The incident took place in Tulasipashi village, located under the jurisdiction of the Parjang police station in the Kamakhyanagar area of Dhenkanal district.

Officials indicated that Bulu Maharana and Rajkishore Sahu, both from the village, ventured into a nearby forest to cut down a tree. During the process, the tree fell on Maharana, inflicting critical injuries. He was immediately taken to a hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

After Maharana’s death, his relatives and Sahu allegedly claimed that he had died due to an elephant attack, triggering an investigation by the forest department.

A specialized team was dispatched to the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Upon examination, officials found no signs of an elephant attack and determined that Maharana had died as a result of injuries sustained from the falling tree.

The forest department subsequently accused Sahu of fabricating the elephant attack narrative to claim the Rs 10 lakh compensation designated for human fatalities caused by elephant encounters.

Sahu was arrested and brought before a court, according to officials, who noted that further investigation into the matter is ongoing.