VELLORE: A torso and detached head of a 85 year-old woman found on Monday in a dry pond in Uriyur Kuppam near Arakkonam has triggered a leopard scare in and around the village.
The forest department, after conducting a thorough inquiry, denied rumours that the elderly woman was mauled by a leopard.
However, they are awaiting the post-mortem report to confirm that a leopard is not on the prowl. The dead woman was identified as Mariamma. She went to attend nature’s call at 11 am on Tuesday last week, and did not return home.
A few villagers found a pack of stray dogs gnawing at the detached head of the decomposed body of Mariamma. The death fuelled a rumour that the octogenarian was mauled by a wild animal. The pug marks with claws spotted by the villagers of Thottam in Pudu Kesavaram panchayat, on the outskirts of the village added fuel to the fire.
On information, District Forest Officer (DFO) K Selvaraj and Ranger of Arcot Forest Range, M Vijay along with their subordinates inspected the village and conducted an inquiry. “We found no evidence (pug mark or scar) of the predator in and around the pond where the elderly woman’s body was found. The elderly woman would have died after she slipped from the bund of the pond. The dogs have gnawed the face of the elderly woman’s body,” said the DFO.
He said that the nearest reserve forest area from the village is 30 kms away.
“Villagers have also stated that they have not spotted any leopard or any wild animal. They have also told us that they only saw stray dogs swarming over the woman’s body,” he continued.