Maharashtra: 8-year-old boy killed by leopard in Chandrapur district

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An eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in the Durgapur area of Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, said a senior forest department officer on Thursday. The deceased, identified as Pratik Bawane, had come to the house of his grandmother in Durgapur here following the death of his grandfather, he said.

The boy, whose parent reside in Bhadravati town of the district, was playing outside the house when a leopard suddenly appeared from nearby bushes, pounced on him and dragged him away on Wednesday evening, the officer said.

As he screamed for help, neighbours and relatives started looking for him and immediately informed the forest department, he said. The body of Bawane was later found 500 metres away from the house, said the officer. Angry citizens chanted slogans against the forest department and the local administration, leading to tension in the area.

On Thursday, local NCP leader Nitin Bhatarkar created ruckus at the Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) office located near the site of the leopard attack and demanded that bushes in the area be cleared.

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