A 35-year-old man working as mahout of an elephant was trampled to death by the pachyderm in a village near here on Monday, said police.
They said elephant Ganga Ram was tended by two cousins Shabbir and Asim, who were returning from Deoria with the tusker.
On way back, they stopped at Singhpur village to have some rest, police said, adding at the time of the incident Asim had gone to field to relieve himself.
Shabbir, meanwhile, stood on the elephant's back underneath a Peepul tree to break some of its branches to feed the animal, said police.
As the mahout came down from the animal's back, the elephant lifted him in his trunk and dashed him on the ground, killing him on the spot, said police.
Locals said the elephant belonged to Gurakhpur (Rural) MLA Vipn Singh, but the police did not confirm it.
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When asked who does the elephant belong to, Jangha police station SHO Anil Kumar Singh refused to disclose the elephant's owner's name.
He, however, added that the MLA has talked to the victim's family and said that he will help the mahout's family in every possible way.