85yo woman killed by leopard in Bahraich, 9th fatality since April
Pilibhit : An 85-year-old woman was killed by a leopard while sleeping in a thatched hut in Bahraich’s Sita Ram Purva area under Mihipurwa tehsil early Friday, taking the district’s leopard-attack death toll since April to nine.
“Had the shrubs been cleared by the irrigation department or local residents, the incident could have been averted,” Dixit said, adding forest officials had repeatedly advised villagers to follow safety guidelines.
Compensation and Assistance for Phoolwati’s Family Following Death
The body of Phoolwati has been sent for autopsy as investigations continue. District official Dixit confirmed that the case will be submitted to the state administration to facilitate a compensation payment of Rs 5 lakh to Phoolwati’s legal heir. In addition, the forest department has provided Rs 10,000 as immediate financial assistance to the grieving family.
Phoolwati’s granddaughter, Sudama Devi, criticized the district administration, claiming that her grandmother’s death could have been avoided if the family’s earlier request for housing under Uttar Pradesh’s rural housing scheme had been addressed promptly.