In a tragic incident in Kheri district, an adult leopard dragged a 32-year-old woman, Sandya Devi, from her cot while she was sleeping outside her house around 9 pm on Saturday in Sahajna village under Singhai police station. The village is located approximately 3 km from the North Nighasan forest range of North Kheri Forest.
Attack and Rescue Attempt
Hearing her screams for help, the woman’s husband, Mata Prasad (35), who was doing mud flooring work in a thatched structure adjacent to their house, rushed to his wife’s rescue. However, by then, the leopard had vanished into the dark with the woman. Later, her body was discovered in a banana field about 50 meters away. The leopard had consumed the flesh from the victim’s throat.
Villagers Protest
Angered by the incident, villagers protested by placing the body on the road and refused to hand it over to police for autopsy. When range officer Bhupendra Singh arrived, they surrounded him and would not let him go until their demands were met. As the situation became tense, personnel from five police stations were deployed. SDM Rajiv Nigam and Nighasan CO Shivam Kumar rushed to the village to take stock of the situation. The protesters allowed police to take custody of the body only after they were assured that their demands would be fulfilled.
Measures Taken
Range officer Bhupendra Singh stated that eight cages with live baits were placed in the area to trap the leopard. Additionally, 16 camera traps were installed. “We will seek permission from the chief wildlife warden to tranquilise the feline,” he said, adding that a compensation of Rs 5 lakh would be given to the family.
Previous Incidents
This was the third such incident in the area since March 25, when a leopard dragged and killed a seven-year-old girl, Paramjeet Kaur, from her house in Sidhauna village. On April 18, a seven-year-old boy, Dilshad, was playing in a wheat field in Nibauria village when a prowling big cat pounced upon him while his parents were harvesting wheat crop.
