Pilibhit: A nine-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard while drinking water from a handpump outside his home in Bahraich’s Badkharia Anand Nagar village, barely 1.2km from the Katarniaghat forest range, on Monday night, as his horrified mother watched from the doorstep. She screamed for help as the animal pounced on him and neighbours rushed to the spot, forcing the leopard to flee into the fields.
Rajveer succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the nearest community health centre.” Divisional forest officer (DFO) Apoorv Dixit said on Tuesday, “Rajveer (first name available), a Class III student, was attacked around 9pm when the animal emerged from the adjoining sugarcane fields and grabbed him by the neck, leaving deep wounds.
Tragic Circumstances for Local Family Following Incident
The recent tragedy has intensified the hardships faced by the victim’s family. Raju, the boy’s father, passed away five years ago due to illness, leaving his wife, Sushila Devi, as the sole provider for their four children: Rajveer, two daughters aged 14 and five, and a seven-year-old son. Sushila’s income from labor work is a mere Rs 1,500 per month, which poses significant challenges for the family’s survival.
In response to the situation, the District Forest Officer (DFO) stated that the family has been granted financial assistance of Rs 10,000. Additionally, the case will be referred to the state forest department for potential compensation of Rs 5 lakh.