Nashik: Leopard hurts 6, including forest officer

Mumbai: Six persons were injured after being attacked by a leopard in a Nashik district. The incident happened on Sunday in Ashakirnawadi village in Nashik, where four members of a family and a forest department official were injured. The forest department is currently searching for the leopard.

The Ashakirnawadi village residents in Iga-tpuri taluka stated that the leopard was seen in the village at around 3.30 pm. The locals alerted the forest department, following which the team arrived at the spot within thirty minutes.

“The leopard was cornered after our team reached the spot. Some of us were trying to control the crowd, while some helped us in cornering the leopard, but the animal panicked and attacked some people,” said an official from the forest department.

While trying to escape, the leopard attacked six people and ran away. Wadivhare Police identified the injured as forest circle officer Omkar Deshpande (40), Sachin Joshi (20) and four family members, Pandharinath Shene (40), Bhiva Shene (38), Hiranan Shene (20) and Sagar Shene (14). The injured persons have been shifted to Nashik civic hospital.

“We have deployed staff members in the village and nearby areas. We hope the leopard will be caught soon,” the official added.