Bijnor (UP), March 15 A typical morning in the sugarcane fields turned into a tragedy on Sunday when a leopard snatched a 10-year-old girl from her mother's side and dragged her into the forest here.
The victim, identified as Aditi, was returning home with her mother and brother after planting sugarcane in Mukarrampur village when the animal emerged from the bushes.
According to Circle Officer (Dhampur) Abhay Kumar Pandey, the animal grabbed the child by the neck and pulled her towards the dense foliage.
Locals raised an alarm, forcing the leopard to abandon the girl and flee, Pandey said.
The girl was taken to the Community Health Centre with serious injuries, where doctors pronounced her dead, he added.
The police have sent the body for post-mortem examination. The forest and revenue departments have been informed about the presence of the leopard in the area.
