Nashik, Oct 27 (PTI) A leopard attacked a policeman after it entered a residential area in Vihitgaon on the outskirts of Nashik city in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

The leopard was first spotted by one of the residents in the locality at around 7.30 am and he raised an alarm, causing the animal to enter a hut, an official said.

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The animal then moved towards a crematorium, even as onlookers pelted stones to ward it away, and in the chaos that ensued, the leopard attacked a policeman who was keeping the crowd at bay, the official said.

The policeman, Vinod Lakhan sustained injuries to this hand and head, and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital, he said.

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A hunt has been launched to track down the animal that escaped into the nearby fields and hasn't been spotted since, the official added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)