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Lucknow: A 32-year-old woman was killed in a leopard attack in Bahraich’s Sujauli area on Thursday evening, marking the fourth human fatality linked to the big cat attacks in the district over the past month, officials said.
The victim, Mamta Devi, was attacked around 5 pm in Gradian Purwa village while plucking ridge gourd in a field barely 10 metres from her home. Mamta is survived by her husband, Rajendra Chauhan, and their three children: Shivmangal (10), Tunnu (5) and Shivani (3). Shivmangal studies in Class 3 at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Sujauli.
Forest officials confirmed that a leopard was responsible for the attack. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in Lucknow Stay updated with the latest Lucknow news.
She had been in the field for only a couple of minutes when a leopard emerged from an adjoining sugarcane field and pounced on her, according to family members and villagers. Sujauli SHO Ram Govind Verma said the body was sent for post-mortem after the required legal formalities were completed. Villagers said the leopard had been frequently sighted in fields around the village in recent days, raising concerns among residents. Katarniaghat DFO Apoorv Dixit said forest teams had been deployed to trace the animal.
The animal reportedly stayed near the body after the incident and fled only when villagers rushed to the spot with sticks and raised an alarm. Mamta suffered severe bite and claw injuries to her neck and shoulder. Her mother-in-law, Badami Devi, who first spotted the leopard near the body, alerted villagers, who then managed to drive the animal away. Police and forest department teams reached the village shortly afterwards. Rajendra works at a tile factory in Rajasthan, while his parents are engaged in farming. He urged people living near forested and agricultural areas to remain vigilant during the monsoon season and avoid venturing into forest-adjacent fields without adequate precautions. Download the TOI App.