Four held for electrocuting, cutting up leopard in UP's Chitrakoot

Four people were arrested by forest officials on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district for allegedly dismembering a leopard after electrocuting it, an official said.

Ram Prakash Shukla, ranger of Garh Chapa forest area, said the incident took place on February 28 in which some hunters in Garhakachhaar village hunted down the leopard and electrocuted it after trapping it in an electric wire net.

After it died, the leopard's carcass was dismembered, distributed among them and hidden somewhere, the forest ranger said.

Based on a tip-off, officials questioned Bhaiyyalal, a youth from the village, who revealed the names of seven of his associates involved in the crime, the forest ranger said.

On Wednesday, Bhaiyyalal and three of his associates were arrested and efforts are on to catch hold of the rest of the accused.

The cut up body parts of the leopard are yet to be recovered, they added.