Ludhiana, May 1
After a fierce two-hour hide-and-seek battle Khukrana villagers and the police managed to kill a leopard which had strayed into the hamlet near Moga town. A policeman and three villagers were among those injured in the duel with the big cat.
According to eyewitnesses Babu Singh, who was irrigating his fields on the night intervening April 28, saw the spotted animal hiding in the fields of Sukhdev Singh. The big cat attacked a dog. When Babu Singh narrated the incident to the villagers, they laughed it off saying he was imagining things.
But Sukhdev, believed him. He went to the field where he saw the pug marks of the animal.
He told his friends about the prowling beast. Armed with guns and swords they went into the fields yesterday at about 3 p.m. Alerted by the sound made by the villagers the leopard emerged from the green cover in the field. The villagers opened fire but to no avail.
Cornered in another field the big cat charged at the attackers, injuring three of the farmers. It again went into the green foliage. The hide-and-seek game continued for two hours. The police was informed. Head Constable Kuldeep Singh reached the spot. The villagers and the policeman then collectively opened fire felling the animal.
