Five-year-old boy mauled to death by leopard

A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Ratanpur town of Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said.

Aman Dhruve, a resident of Medrapara area of the town, was playing in the courtyard of his house along with other children when he was dragged away by the big cat on Monday evening, Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) JR Thakur said.

"His parents were not present at the house at that time. On hearing cries of the children, the victim's mother who was at the house of a neighbour rushed to the spot, where other villagers also gathered," he said.

"Villagers immediately launched a search for the child and after around an hour, he was found lying a kilometre away from his house on Ratanpur-Kota road. Aman was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead," the ASP added.