A four-year-girl from Shahpur died after a leopard dragged her out of the house early on Sunday. The girl, Rupali Bhagat, was sleeping beside her mother in their hut in Kamtipada in Thane district. The area, which skirts Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, has seen leopard attacks in the past.
It was sometime between 3.30 am and 4 am that the big cat tiptoed into the house, said the girl’s parents who were fast asleep at the time. Her mother said she woke up on finding something grazing against her. Still groggy from sleep, it took her some time to realize what was going on. She screamed frantically for help, nudging her husband out of slumber.
By the time, her husband, Kashinath, hollered for help and alerted people in the neighbourhood, the leopard had melted away into the darkness outside.
By the time, other villagers scrambled out of their homes, it was a tad too late. The neighbours scouted around, hoping that the leopard had abandoned the child out of fear, but failed to find her. The police and forest officials were also alerted by villagers.
More than an hour later, around 5 am, villagers found Rupali about 1 km away from their house. Blood was splattered all over her, said villagers who rushed her to Shahapur Gramin Hospital where she was declared ‘brought dead’. A part of the girl’s right hand was eaten up, said the police. The funeral was held in the evening.
“It’s so hard to believe. Only last night, after dinner, we were playing with her. And evern before she woke up, she’s gone,” said Kashinath.
Villagers, armed with sticks, kept vigil in the area, fearing that the leopard would strike again. The villagers claimed that leopard attacks have seen a spurt due to lack of proper patrolling by forest officials. Calls made to forest officials from Shahapur went unanswered.