TIRUCHY: An agricultural worker was electrocuted in an electric fence erected to prevent the straying of wild boars in Thanjavur on Saturday.

It is said, there were frequent straying of wild boars in Tiruvidaimarudur, Cholapuram and Tiruppanandal near Kumbakonam for the past few weeks and they destroyed crops in the region.

Last week, these wild animals had destroyed paddy, turmeric, ginger and banana in an area of 25 acres in the region and the farmer Vijayakumar and Rathinam from Ayyanallur near Cholapuram erected electric fencing to prevent the boars.

Against such a backdrop, a farm labourer Devendran (55) who went to the field on Saturday morning for regular work he touched the live electric fence and died on the spot. On information, Cholapuram police rushed to the spot and retrieved the body and sent it to Kumbakonam GH. The police also arrested both Vijayakumar and Rathinam for erecting electric fencing without permission. Further investigations are on.