A Vasai motorcyclist's claim of a leopard attack was found to be false after a forest department inquiry. The man admitted he fell off his bike due to a pothole, while another worker spread a fake cheetah photo online.
One of the security guards downloaded an image of a cheetah and claimed to have clicked it at the spot. Representation pic
While there were claims that a leopard had attacked an individual in Vasai, forest department officials confirmed that a security guard named Shah Rukh Khan confessed to lying about the incident. Khan fell off his bike and got injured after he hit a pothole, but claimed he fell after being attacked by a leopard.
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Another security guard, Vishal Gaund downloaded the image of a cheetah from the internet and uploaded it on a WhatsApp group claiming that he had clicked it. The fake news and image on the group caused panic in the area. The forest department has issued a warning to Khan and Gaund, and also scanned the area as a precaution, but did not find a single leopard pugmark.
Range Forest Officer (RFO) Rita Vaidya said, “On Tuesday night, Khan, a security guard at a smart city project site, was on his way to work when he noticed something reflecting (shining eyes of an animal) in the distance.
At that moment, his bike hit a pothole, causing him to fall and get injured. He immediately reported the incident to his team at the site, saying he was attacked by a leopard causing him to fall off his bike, and the message was later shared on their WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Gaund downloaded an image of a cheetah from social media and circulated it in the group, claiming it was a cheetah sighting.
On Wednesday, we called both individuals in for an inquiry. Khan admitted that he had not been attacked by a leopard and Vishal acknowledged that he had shared the photo after downloading it, falsely claiming it was clicked by him. We have issued a warning to both as they spread rumours that created panic in the area.”
Vaidya told mid-day that the forest department team also visited the area in Vasai where the incident was reported but after several hours of scanning, they did not spot any leopard pugmarks. The forest department staff conducted a leopard awareness session in the area as a precautionary measure and informed the locals about the ‘Dos’ and ‘Don'ts’ in case they saw a leopard.
Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane, Rohit Mohite, said, “During the investigation, Khan told the forest department officials that he lied about the attack. He got injured after falling off the bike due to a pothole and no negative human-leopard interaction episode. Due to the fake news about the leopard attack, there was a lot of fear in the area and such instances create a negative impact of wild animals in people's minds. Leopards are very elusive and shy animals and will never attack unless provoked.”
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