A three-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Khag area of central Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday late night. Reports said that the leopard attacked the minor boy Mohammad Amir Lone (3) son of Bashir Ahmad Lone of Lone Mohalla in Sitharan village of Khag when he was on the Varanda of his house waiting for his father to return after offering evening prayers.
The locals said that the leopard dragged the 3-year-old by nearly 350 meters from his residence and left him dead near a forest nursery in the area. The locals said that the body was recovered around 10:00 pm and police despite repeated calls did not visit the spot. "Instead we visited the police station taking the body along for the carrying legal formalities," they said, adding that the boy was later buried at around 1:00 am. This is the fifth attack in Khag area of the central Kashmir district, they said. The other attacks took place at Shikari Mohalla Drang, Khankhahi Drang, Sozenpather Drang and Gujerpati Drang.
"After every attack, the wild life authorities only assured that the leopard would be trapped by laying traps etc." However, nothing was done so far as a result of which the three year old became the fresh victim of the wild beast, they said, adding that responsibility should be fixed by the government and erring officials shall be given an exemplary punishment so that such incidents are prevented in future.