GUWAHATI, June 7 - In a barbaric incident, a leopard was brutally killed by some locals in Katahbari area under the Garchuk Police Station here this morning.
Police said that a resident of the area, Shailen Boro, had laid a trap last night and managed to trap the big cat at 1.30 am. According to the locals, the full-grown male had been causing havoc in the area for the last few days.
Officials of the Forest department visited the spot at 4 this morning after local people informed them about the incident. But, before the officials could tranquillize the feline, it managed to escape from the trap and attacked a seven-year-old girl, too, injuring her right shoulder. This triggered panic among the residents.
�Some locals, taking the matter in their own hands, tracked down the leopard and brutally beat it to death,� the police said. �The brutality did not even stop there. Some of the agitated locals even took away the dead leopard�s teeth and nails. They later raved and paraded with the leopard�s carcass.�
Six persons, including a minor, have been detained so far in this regard. A case has been registered under section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act. As many as 10 persons are likely to be arrested as the police were examining the available video footages and identifying more people involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, DFO of the Kamrup East Division Rajib Baruah said, �The carcass has been sent for post-mortem and we will get the report tomorrow. An old injury mark was also seen on one of its feet. The leopard looked frail. It might not have even eaten anything in the last seven days.�
A local resident of the area alleged that the Forest officials failed to cage the leopard as they did not bring the tranquillizer gun. Denying the allegation, Baruah said the leopard had managed to escape before the Forest officials arrived at the site. �Our officials returned from the spot as the leopard had already vanished into the jungle. But later, the locals tracked it down and killed it,� he explained.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage on the social media.
