: In a freak incident, a mahout was crushed to death when he slipped and fell under the elephant when he ordered it to lie down for its bath, police said here Sunday.
Arun Panicker (40) allegedly beat the elephant and ordered it to lie down, and as it did so, he lost his balance and got sandwiched between the animal and the ground, the police said.
Panicker died on the spot, they said.
His body has been sent for a postmortem.
The elephant is owned by a hospital group in the city.