UP: Villager mauled to death by tiger in Pilibhit

Pilibhit (UP), Jan 26 (IANS) A 50-year-old villager was mauled to death by a tiger at Hajara village in Puranpur tehsil in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.The victim, Qasim alias Kallu of Mailani village in Lakhimpur Kheri district, was harvesting sugarcane in the field of one Ram Lakhan, when he was attacked by the tiger on Monday.Pramod Kumar, Circle officer of Puranpur, and O.P.S. Rautela, range officer of Sampurna Nagar forest range in North Kheri forest division, rushed to the spot.Pugmarks confirmed that the tiger was a male.Anil Patel, divisional forest officer of North Kheri forest division, said three labourers were harvesting cane when the tiger attacked Qasim. The other two labourers managed to flee.The tiger dragged Qasim's body inside the cane field but before it could devour it, villagers rushed to the spot and took the body out.The spot where the man was killed was hardly one kilometre from the buffer forest area of Sampurna Nagar range.As the man was killed outside the forest area, his family will be given Rs 5 lakh as compensation.
--IANS amita/kr