Overview
- Balbir Singh, 40, who was visiting relatives in Malwana village, was killed in the attacks across the Balh subdivision of Mandi.
- The animal struck residents in Chandiyal and Bhadyal before reaching Malwana, with five people seriously hurt and four others sustaining minor injuries, all treated at Nerchowk Medical College.
- Villagers confronted the leopard; a forest rescue team found it already wounded and it later died after being taken to the Sundernagar veterinary hospital, with a post-mortem underway.
- Forest and district authorities have intensified surveillance, issued advisories to avoid solitary movement at dawn and dusk, and opened an inquiry into how the leopard entered populated areas.
- Officials reported no prior leopard sightings in Balh and said the male was likely 11–12 years old with damaged canines, noting possible territorial displacement and stating compensation will follow due process.