A young rifleman of the Indian army died in an elephant attack near Bagdogra on the outskirts of Siliguri on Tuesday evening.

Foresters from the Bagdogra range of the Kurseong forest division recovered his body.

Sources said Kushal Chhetri, 27, a resident of Madhabvita of Ghoshpukur under Phansidewa block of Siliguri subdivision, was posted as a rifleman with the Bengdubi army cantonment.

“He went to the forest on Tuesday evening on some errand when a wild elephant attacked him. He died on the spot. It is a very unfortunate incident. We recovered his body from the Tirrihannah block of Bagdogra forest range,” said a forester of Baikunthapur forest division.

Life imprisonment

A fast-track court in Sikkim sentenced a cab driver, Pritam Sharma, who was convicted for the rape and murder of a minor girl, to life imprisonment on Wednesday.

Sources said that the girl went missing on April 11, 2023.

When she did not return home, her family approached the police who initiated a probe immediately.

The victim’s body was found on April 14. Sharma was arrested on April 17.