Police Stops Operation To Trace Farmer after Crocodile attack In Bheema River In Narayanpet

Thimappa went to his agricultural land near his Kusummurthy village abutting the river, accompanied by his neighbour Shivappa. He was checking the pipeline valve connected to the electrical motor to draw water from the river when a 10-feet-long crocodile reportedly attacked him from behind at about 2.15 pm. Shivappa escaped as he was standing a little away, on the riverbed.

Shivappa called the police who launched a search for Thimappa. Police sought the assistance of local swimmers, who refused to enter the water fearing a crocodile attack. Police then took the help of deep divers from Sirpur in bordering Karnataka but to no avail.

The police then called the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and fire-fighters to trace Thimappa. Rains that lashed the district for the last few days have hampered the search operation. It is expected that the water levels in the river will start rising because of rain upstream and in the catchment areas.

Police said that when the deep divers were travelling in boats, they were being followed by crocodiles which made it hazardous to enter the water. “We utilised all resources to look for Thimappa but to no avail. The same was explained to Thimappa’s family and village elders,” Krishna sub-inspector S.M. Naveed told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday. His wife, two sons and a daughter were waiting for any news on Thimappa.

Naveed said they booked a case missing after the incident. “After obtaining legal opinion and with the consent of Thimappa’s family, a decision would be taken to close the case,” he added.

According to police, it’s a regular practice for villagers to draw water from the river. In a couple of incidents reported earlier, villagers escaped from crocodile attacks with injuries.