A rogue bull running amok in Katwa town of East Burdwan killed a sexagenarian on Friday evening after it had injured at least 23 others, mainly pedestrians, over the past two months.
A source said the bull, named Bhola, on Friday chased Badre Alam Chowdhury, 67, a retired state government employee and Citu leader, while he was returning from a bank after withdrawing his pension.
The bull took the senior citizen by its horns, threw him on the road and ran over him.
“With severe injuries on his head and an eye, he was taken to the local hospital. As his injuries were serious, it was recommended he be shifted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. He died on the way,” a resident said.
After the death, people stopped using the road out of fear, residents said.
“It is regrettable that a senior citizen was killed by a bull because the local civic body did not do anything to tame it. All of them knew about the threat of the untamed bull and other cows roaming around the station market and bus terminus areas. Many people had been injured earlier, but the death of our neighbour is shocking. We hope the local administration looks into it,” said Sheikh Allauddin, a resident.
According to Katwa station market traders, the bull turned rogue two months ago.
“The bull sometimes starts chasing passersby. The young can run, but the elderly are an easy target,” said a trader.
Subrata Saha, secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights in Katwa, said: “The bull attacked me around two months ago and I suffered chest injuries. I took up the issue with the forest department, subdivisional police officer and the chairman of our municipality. Had they acted, we would not have lost a fellow citizen.”
A forest official said they did not deal with bovine animals as they were not under the wild category.
Samir Saha, who chairs Katwa's Trinamul-run municipality, acknowledged the problem and said they had "already communicated with several departments and an organisation that works with strays for a solution."
