In Sahaspur, Dehradun, an elderly man who had ventured into the forest to gather firewood was killed by a leopard. When he failed to return even after a considerable time had passed, his family members went out to search for him; they discovered Irfan’s body approximately 2.5 kilometers deep inside the forest. He bore deep wounds around his neck and eyes. It is believed that Irfan lost his life in a leopard attack. The incident occurred in the Sahaspur area, within the Chauharpur Range of the Kalsi Land Conservation Forest Division.
According to reports, Irfan had gone into the forest at 7:00 AM with his younger brother, Yusuf, to gather firewood. A short while later—around 9:00 AM—Yusuf returned with some wood, while Irfan remained behind. He told Yusuf that he would be home shortly. However, when Irfan still had not returned by 10:00 AM, his family members began searching for him.
Their anxiety intensified when they were unable to establish contact with him via phone. While searching for Irfan, the family members ventured about 2.5 kilometers into the forest, where they recovered his body. Following the identification of the body, news of the incident spread like wildfire throughout the area. Upon receiving the information, teams from the Forest Department and the police arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation. By that time, however, the family members had already brought the body back home.
Upon being informed, DFO Mayank Garg also arrived at the scene. When he requested that the body undergo a post-mortem examination, the family members and villagers began to protest. The DFO reasoned with them, explaining that a post-mortem was a mandatory requirement for the family to receive compensation. Acting on the information provided by the Forest Department, the Sahaspur Kotwali police arrived at the location.
The police subsequently arranged for the body to be transported to the mortuary. Amidst protests from the family members and local villagers, the body has been placed in the mortuary at the Sub-District Hospital. The DFO stated that, given the suspected death caused by a leopard attack, forest patrols in the area have been intensified.
