Overview

• Forest officials said the circulated images showed clear digital editing and no CCTV or on-ground evidence indicated a leopard was present.
• Police detained youths linked to the posts, with one confessing to editing and sharing the photo, and a formal complaint was filed with Aashiana police.
• Search teams reviewed CCTV, installed camera traps, and stepped up day–night patrols under a designated nodal officer as a precaution.
• Residents reported panic as WhatsApp posts spread, with some keeping children indoors and skipping school until the hoax was clarified.
• A post by Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav amplified one of the images on X, accelerating the reach of the false claim.