A Madhyamik examinee in Jalpaiguri died in an elephant attack on Thursday while he was on way to the examination centre with his father on a motorcycle through a road that cuts through Baikunthapur forest, a known elephant habitat.

The death of Arjun Das, 16, has brought into focus lapses on the part of the state forest department in providing safe passage to Madhyamik examinees in the region. The Telegraph had reported on Thursday about the forest department’s initiative in Bankura to ferry Madhyamik examinees living near elephant habitats to exam centres and back, escorted by special Airavat vans that had tranquilisers.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her sorrow and concern over the death of the teenager, prompting the forest department to come up with an elaborate directive to officials asking them to help examinees and ensure they do not take forest roads to reach examination centres.

Sources said Arjun, a resident of Maharajaghat of Rajganj block, was a student of Pachiram Nahata High School. At around 9am, he started for examination centre Belakoba Kebalpara High School, around 22 kilometres away from his home, on his father Bishnupada’s motorcycle.

To cut the long way short, Bishnupada took the route through Baikunthapur forest to reach the exam centre. “There was fog in the forest and I didn’t notice the elephant. It suddenly attacked us. I somehow managed to move away but my son fell and the elephant trampled him,” an inconsolable Bishnupada said later.

A team of foresters led by Sanjoy Dutta, the range officer of Belakoba forest range, rushed to the spot. They took the father and the son to the super-speciality hospital in Jalpaiguri, where doctors pronounced Arjun dead.

“We had planned to send him to a cousin’s place near the examination centre from tomorrow (Friday). But we lost him,” wept Arjun’s mother Sumitra. The couple has a younger son who studies in Class 8.

The chief minister, who left for Calcutta from Siliguri on Thursday, expressed her condolences. “It is an unfortunate incident. I have asked the forest department to take necessary steps to avert such incidents,” said Mamata. The chief minister instructed Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb and district magistrate Moumita Godara Basu to visit the home of the deceased student.

Along with them, local MLA Khageswar Roy also went to Maharajghat and spoke with the bereaved family members. After the incident, questions have been raised as to why the state forest department didn’t take steps to ensure the safety of examinees who have to travel through elephant habitats.

“In Bankura, foresters have hired vehicles to ferry examinees to the exam centres and back. A vehicle equipped to ward off elephants is accompanying the convoy carrying the examinees. No such step was taken in north Bengal where hundreds of examinees dwell in areas close to elephant habitats,” said a schoolteacher in Jalpaiguri.

Thursday’s incident jolted the government into action with Vivek Kumar, the additional chief secretary of the forest department, issuing an elaborate order to provide protection to examinees as they travel to examination centres and back, from wild animals, especially elephants.

“The divisional forest officers will organise public announcements on roads to avoid and precautions to take. If required, temporary drop gates will be put up at entry and exit points of elephant habitats, and Airavat (the fleet of tactical vehicles) will also be engaged along with mobile patrol,” said a forest officer.

Kumar also said that transport arrangements in consultation with the district administration, police and education department should be made for those examinees who negotiate critical and vulnerable stretches. “Senior officers have been asked to submit reports about the initiatives taken in this regard,” the forester added.