Cowherds kill leopard as revenge for mauling cow

In a case of tit-for-tat, cowherds killed a leopard in Ballari by poisoning after it mauled a cow a month ago, but their attempts to sell the big cat’s pelt in the city gave away their crime, and were arrested by the police.

Basavaraju (48), Suresh (30) and Pappanna (27), all the three residents of Devarahatti village in Kudligi taluk in Ballari, were arrested while they were trying to sell the leopard’s pelt near Devinagar bus stand in Kodigehalli police station limits, the police said.

Following reliable information that three outsiders were trying to sell a leopard’s pelt, policemen in mufti, posing as prospective buyers approached the trio and seized the pelt before arresting them red-handed. During interrogation, the trio revealed to the police how they got the leopard’s pelt.

Suresh had taken his cousin Basavaraj’s cows for grazing last month on the Marammadevi Gudda on the outskirts of their village. A leopard attacked one of the cows. Suresh raised an alarm and managed to shoo away the leopard. He informed Basavaraju about the incident and they hatched a plan to kill the leopard. Accordingly, they laced the dead cow’s meat with pesticide and left it for the leopard to eat. The next day, the leopard was found lying dead a few metres away from the cow’s carcass, the police said quoting the suspects.

The duo then sought the help of his friend Pappanna to skin the leopard and then later burn its carcass on the hill. After waiting for a month’s time, the trio then felt safe to sell the pelt in the city and came to Kodigehalli where they were arrested on Thursday.