Pilibhit (UP), Feb 11 (PTI) An elderly woman was found dead with severe injuries in the Mahof range of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Wednesday, with villagers suspecting that she was killed in a tiger attack, officials said.
The mutilated body was recovered from a dense forest area under the Mahof range.
According to villagers, parts of the abdomen and neck were missing, raising suspicion of a tiger attack.
However, the PTR administration has not yet confirmed the involvement of a tiger.
Neuria police station in-charge Subhash Mavi said the police team reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem examination.
The deceased was identified as Parul Rai (65), wife of Sukumar Rai, a resident of Bhadra Colony in the Mahof range area, police said.
Villagers claimed that the woman had gone into the forest to collect firewood when she was allegedly attacked by a tiger, leading to her death.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Manish Singh said information was received about the recovery of a woman’s body in the Mahof range of PTR and a team visited the site to conduct an inquiry.
“It is not yet clear whether the incident occurred within the notified forest area. The exact cause of death, including the possibility of a tiger attack, will be confirmed only after the post-mortem report,” Singh said.
The incident has triggered panic among villagers in the area.
Officials said that some people continue to venture inside the forest and risk their lives despite strict restrictions and warnings.
The forest department has once again appealed to residents not to enter the forest area and said appropriate action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation. PTI COR ABN ABN KSS KSS
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