Udaipur: A 42-year-old farmer was killed in a suspected leopard attack in Upli Badi village of Badi panchayat, located near the Sajjangarh Sanctuary, late Friday night. The animal allegedly dragged the victim nearly 500 metre from a well to a farm, officials and villagers said.The deceased, identified as Babulal Gameti (42), had gone near the well Friday night. On Saturday morning, a villager who arrived to start the water motor noticed blood scattered around the well and suspected foul play. Following the blood trail, he found Gameti’s body lying in a field about 500 metres away, with one leg severed. His clothes were found near the well. The body was later shifted to the mortuary. Badgaon SHO Kitab Devi, along with forest officials and staff, rushed to the spot after receiving information. Teams from the forest department and Badgaon police station transported the body to MB Hospital in Udaipur for postmortem. Divisional Forest Officer Ajay Chittauda said, “Prima facie this appears to be a kill by a leopard. There are teeth marks on the victim’s neck. However, the complete picture will be clear only after the postmortem.” He added that the incident occurred about 2km behind the sanctuary and that the leopard may have strayed from there. “Cages have been placed at all possible locations and a team of forest workers is continuously searching to capture the leopard,” he said.
