A 60-year-old farmer and his teenage grandson were found dead on Wednesday morning near Tyavanahalli in Vakkaleri hobli in Kolar taluk, in what is suspected to be a leopard attack. Officials said, prima facie, the injuries on the neck and face of the victims point to an assault by a wild animal. The deceased have been identified as Venkatappa and Mahesh (15), a class 10 student, both from M. Gollahalli village. The local people spotted the bodies early on Wednesday in an eucalyptus grove and alerted the police and forest officials.
The victims had gone to the fields around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday on a motorbike and had not returned.
Rural sub-inspector K.S. Devendrappa told The Hindu that it was suspected to be an attack by a leopard, which are sighted frequently in the area. This will, however, have to be confirmed after further investigation and receiving the post-mortem report, which is expected in two to three days time. The local doctors are seeking the opinion of Bengaluru experts.
Though there have been frequent instances of sheep being carried away by leopards, this is the first instance of humans killed in an attack. A combing operation has been launched to track the animal.
