Gorakhpur, Jan 14 (IANS): A pet elephant, owned by BJP MLA from Gorakhpur (rural), Vipin Singh, trampled its mahout to death in Singhpur village, under Jangha police station, on Monday.

Police said the tusker and the mahout, Shabbir, 34, were returning from a religious event in Deoria when the incident took place.

Shabbir and another mahout Asim had stopped at Singhpur village to take rest.

Shabbir stood on the elephant's back to pluck leaves from a Peepal tree to feed the pachyderm.

However, as soon as Shabbir came down, the elephant held him with his trunk and threw him down with force. He then trampled him to death.

Station house officer of Jangha police station, Anil Kumar Singh, said the body has been sent for an autopsy.

Police have lodged a complaint submitted by Shabbir's family members against Vipin Singh.

BJP MLA Vipin Singh has said that he would help the mahout's family in every possible way.

The elephant, Ganga Ram, was trained and was looked after by cousin duo, Shabbir and Asim, and had never shown a violent streak.

Former Samajwadi leader Ram Lakhan Varma was also trampled to death by his pet elephant Lal Bahadur, in his village in Ambedkar Nagar in 2012.