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Doctors perform carotid stenting on 8-yr-old after leopard attack punctures neck artery

‘I was not scared after the attack, but now my granny does not let me out of her sight’

3 min readPuneJan 7, 2026 10:34 PM IST

Eknath Kotkar (60) recalled that the incident had occurred just two days after a six year old girl was killed in a leopard attack in neighbouring Karjune Khare village.

Eight-year-old Rajvir Kotkar is unstoppable as he rattles on about how the leopard caught him by the neck and dragged him from his village Islak in Ahilyanagar on November 14. “I was not scared at all, but now my grandmother does not let me out of her sight once it is evening,” Rajvir told The Indian Express.

He was in Pune with his grandfather Eknath Kotkar for a follow-up at KEM hospital. Three weeks ago, doctors performed carotid stenting on the artery which had been punctured when he was dragged by the leopard. “The procedure relieved the boy from a bulge in the artery resulting from the leopard bite, which if left untreated could have ruptured and proved fatal,” Dr Anand Alurkar, interventional neurologist at KEM Hospital, said.

Eknath Kotkar (60) recalled that the incident had occurred just two days after a six year old girl was killed in a leopard attack in neighbouring Karjune Khare village. “My grandson was playing outside our house which is in the farm. Fortunately my son was nearby when the leopard started dragging Rajvir away. It was around 6.30 pm in the evening and my son took out his bike and started chasing the leopard. He kept honking till the leopard left the child and went away,” Kotkar recalled.

However, seriously wounded in the incident, the family took him to a private hospital in Ahilyanagar. After he was stabilised, doctors referred them to Dr Alurkar at KEM where doctors found that the injuries to the boy’s neck had punctured the main carotid artery supplying blood to the brain. “This created a bulge in the artery called pseudoaneurysm where the weakened wall ballooned out, which could have ruptured and led to fatal bleeding. The condition was confirmed with a Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), an advanced angiography of the brain vessels,” Dr Alurkar added.

The doctor decided to go for carotid stenting which is a minimally invasive procedure to treat carotid artery diseases done via the groin artery. The stenting was done with a ‘Covered Stent Graft’ which sealed the puncture in the artery instantly. He was discharged and on a follow-up visit on Monday (January 5) was found to be stable and recuperating well. “Although carotid stenting is routinely done in KEM hospital for the past two decades for blockages in the carotid artery in elderly stroke patients, the patient’s tender age and the circumstances of the neck injury made this a rare and interesting case,” Dr Alurkar said.

For Rajvir though this incident has made him a local hero of sorts as he cheerfully narrates how he did not get scared. “My classmates often ask me what happened and I tell them the entire story, especially of how I did not get scared,” Rajvir, who is in Class III, said, mischievously adding that his teacher often tells him ‘Baher hindat nako jai (Do not venture out)’.”

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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