<p>The incident took place in Chak village in Chandauli, where a group of locals attacked the five-year-old leopard. The animal died after suffering multiple injuries.<br /><br />"It is yet to be established whether the villagers killed the animal for self-defence or for any other purpose," Divisional Forest Officer P.P. Singh told reporters here.<br /><br />"We have initiated a joint enquiry into the case with a police team. All those involved in the killing of the leopard have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA)," he added.<br />Killing a leopard is a serious crime under the Indian Wildlife Act. The offenders can face three to seven years' rigorous imprisonment if they are found guilty.<br />Forest officials are yet to ascertain whether the leopard came from the adjoining forest area of Bihar or from forests in Uttar Pradesh.<br /><br />"The forest area of Bihar is just 10-12 km away from the spot where the leopard was killed," Singh said. <br /></p>
<p>The incident took place in Chak village in Chandauli, where a group of locals attacked the five-year-old leopard. The animal died after suffering multiple injuries.<br /><br />"It is yet to be established whether the villagers killed the animal for self-defence or for any other purpose," Divisional Forest Officer P.P. Singh told reporters here.<br /><br />"We have initiated a joint enquiry into the case with a police team. All those involved in the killing of the leopard have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA)," he added.<br />Killing a leopard is a serious crime under the Indian Wildlife Act. The offenders can face three to seven years' rigorous imprisonment if they are found guilty.<br />Forest officials are yet to ascertain whether the leopard came from the adjoining forest area of Bihar or from forests in Uttar Pradesh.<br /><br />"The forest area of Bihar is just 10-12 km away from the spot where the leopard was killed," Singh said. <br /></p>