In a shocking incident in Pune's Junnar taluka, a six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard. The boy has been identified as Siddharth Pravin Kedkar, who was studying in Class I.
According to officials, the incident took place on Wednesday evening in Kumshet village. Around 7:30 pm, Kedkar was studying outside his house when the leopard pounced on him and dragged him away.
Unaware of the attack, the family looked for the boy at the houses of neighbours and relatives. Later, they found the body about 100 meters away from their house.
Reportedly, Kedkar was the only son of a daily-wage worker couple from Thakar Vasti, an area with only 10–15 houses in Kumshet village.
Meanwhile, this was the second leopard-related death of the financial year 2025–26 in Pune district.
In April, an 85-year-old woman sleeping outside her house was attacked by a leopard in Shirur's Inamgaon.
Forest officials said two other people were injured in attacks so far this financial year.
In FY 2024–25, Pune district recorded nine leopard attack-related deaths and nine injuries.
