Leopard electrocuted in Mandi village; 2 booked

Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 9

A leopard was found electrocuted at Chandesh village under the Sarkaghat subdivision of Mandi district on Sunday night. Two persons have been booked under 336 and 429 of the IPC and Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act.

The police said to save the crops from wild animals such as pigs, the accused, Nek Ram and Bam Dev, both natives of Chandesh village, had put up electric fencing around their agriculture field so that any wild animal trying to enter their field would be electrocuted.

Chanderpal, Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP), Sarkaghat, said according to information, when the leopard was in the process of catching a dog in the area, they both got stuck to the electric fencing and died on the spot. When asked, the DSP said electric fencing was banned in the state and no one was allowed to use it to keep away wild animals in the agricultural field. It was stated that the accused had been using electric fencing. The matter came to notice on Sunday night, when both dog and leopard were found electrocuted.

The DSP said a villager informed the police about the incident, which prompted police authorities to book both the accused under various sections of cruelty against wildlife animals. He said it was the first case of its kind, when villagers were found using electric fencing to protect their fields from wild animals, which was prohibited under law.He said action would be taken accordingly.

No one has been arrested in the case so far.