Leopard burnt to death in Gujarat

In a shocking incident, angry residents of a town in Surat district burnt a leopard to death after the carnivore had fatally attacked a seven-year-old girl.

The incident occurred on Thursday after the girl was attacked by the leopard in Wadi village of Mangrol taluka (tehsil), which happens to be the native place of Forest and Tribal Minister Ganpat Vasava. She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Immediately after this, Forest Department officials caught and caged the leopard. Enraged by the death of the girl, the locals in the town attacked the animal in its cage and set it on fire.

The Minister rushed to the village to meet the family of the girl and questioned forest officials about the incident.

The Gujarat government has ordered the setting up of a five-member committee to look into the incident, after gory pictures of the carnivore's charred body went viral.

--IANS

desai/sm/bg