The State Secretariat in sector-10 of Gujarat’s Capital city Gandhinagar witnessed a high drama on Monday after a leopard entered its premises.
People heaved a sigh of relief only after the leopard was caged at around 3 pm. Around 300 officials of the State forest department had to struggle for 12 hours to catch the big cat.
Sources in the State Secretariat said a CCTV footage showed that the leopard sneaked in through the gap below Gate no 7 of the Secretariat complex.
As the security personnel monitored the leopard’s entry inside the complex, all the gates were closed for the people, including Secretariat staff.
“An intensive search operation was conducted to cage the wild animal. It took more than 10 hours to trace the leopard. The big cat went outside the Secretariat complex and reached Punit Van (a park where people throng for jogging). We laid a trap and as soon as it was within the range the forest guards tranquilized and caged the animal,” said an official involved in the 12-our long search operation.
As people came to know about the leopard’s entry into the ‘power corridor’ of the State, they started assembling near the gates to witness the thrilling search operation.
Besides forest personnel from Junagadh and Banaskantha districts, Chetak Commandos were also deployed in the search operation spread across nearly 8-10 sq km.