No help, villagers hack panther

8216;8216;We locked our houses and waited for officers to arrive, but when we heard a man crying for help, we decided to kill the animal. We failed in our attempts to trap it, so six men attacked the panther with daggers and knives,8217;8217; admitted Sarpanch Poonambhai Rawal.

Villagers said they had no intentions of killing the animal, but for about an hour neither the police nor forest officers arrived, and they were left with no other option. 8216;8216;No police officer reached the village till 9 am so the frightened villagers killed the animal,8217;8217; said a forest officer.

8216;8216;Instead of randomly attacking the panther, the villagers could have thrust a knife into his legs, but they were scared,8217;8217; said Range Forest Officer S.N. Joshi.