Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 13 (IANS): Angry villagers brutally killed a leopard in a wheat field near Susundi village in Ghazipur district.

Three villagers also suffered injuries when the leopard attacked them in an attempt to escape on Sunday.

According to divisional forest officer, Ghazipur, Girish Chandra Tripathi, the villagers did not follow instructions of officials of forest department and the police to leave the area, where the leopard was hiding.

A case has been registered against the villagers under section 9/51 Wildlife Protection Act and the carcass of leopard has been sent for post mortem.

Sources said that the presence of the leopard was known when the big cat attacked a youth and the latter raised an alarm.

Hundreds of villagers surrounded the wheat field, where the leopard was apparently hiding.The Nonahara police also reached there along with the forest officials. Tripathi said that he and the police officials made repeated appeals to the villagers to move out of the area to enable the officials in catching the leopard.

"However, the mob started shouting after surrounding the field and the leopard made an attempt to escape. He even attacked a youth and injured two others in his attempt.

Later, the villagers beat the leopard brutally with sticks killing him on the spot", said Tripathi.