Lucknow: A seven-year-old boy was killed in a leopard attack in a village under Motipur forest range of Bahraich district on Friday evening, triggering a protest by villagers.The incident took place around 7pm in Azamgarh Purwa village of Karikot gram panchayat.The victim, Raghuveer, son of Ram Vilas Patwa, was playing outside his house when a leopard suddenly entered the residential area and attacked him.According to villagers, the animal grabbed the child in its jaws and dragged him towards nearby agricultural fields. Family members and locals raised an alarm and chased the leopard.The animal abandoned the child in a field and fled towards the nearby forest.Villagers later found the severely injured child in a sugarcane field. He was taken to a primary health centre in Sujouli where doctors declared him dead. The boy had suffered deep injuries on his neck and throat which proved fatal, doctors said.The incident plunged the village into mourning. Angry villagers staged a protest by placing the child’s body on the road and blocking traffic, demanding that forest officials capture the leopard and ensure safety in the area.Protesters alleged that leopard sightings and attacks had increased in recent months, but authorities had failed to take adequate preventive measures.Forest officials later reached the spot and pacified the villagers by assuring them of action, compensation for the victim’s family, and efforts to capture the leopard.DFO, Bahraich, Sundaresha said, “The pattern of injuries indicates that the child was attacked by a leopard. We have formed teams and efforts are on to rescue the feline.”Villagers also blamed frequent evening power cuts for the rising incidents of wild animals entering residential areas.
