A Vasai motorcyclist's claim of a leopard attack was found to be false after a forest department inquiry. The man admitted he fell off his bike due to a pothole, while another worker spread a fake cheetah photo online.
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On January 22, a motorcyclist in Vasai narrowly escaped unhurt after a big cat reportedly attempted to pounce on him late Tuesday night as he was returning home from work, the police said. Following the alleged attack, the motorcyclist, identified as Shah Rukh Khan, fell off his bike on a country-made road and shouted for help, which supposedly scared the leopard and prompted security personnel to rush to his aid.
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However, while initial claims suggested that a leopard had attacked the motorcyclist, forest department officials have confirmed that Shah Rukh Khan later admitted to fabricating the story. He revealed that he had actually fallen off his bike after hitting a pothole. Adding to the confusion, another worker, Vishal Gaund, downloaded a photo of a cheetah from the internet and falsely circulated it, claiming he had captured the image himself. Both individuals have received warnings from the forest department.
Range Forest Officer (RFO) Rita Vaidya explained, “On Tuesday night, Shah Rukh Khan, a security guard working at a smart city project site, was on his way to work when he noticed something reflecting (eye shine of some animal) in the distance. At that moment, his bike hit a pothole, causing him to fall. He immediately reported the incident to his team at the site, and the message was later shared on their WhatsApp group. Another security guard, Vishal Gaund, downloaded a photo of a cheetah from social media and circulated it in the group, claiming it was a cheetah sighting. On Wednesday, we called both individuals in for an inquiry. Shah Rukh admitted that he had not been attacked by a leopard, and Vishal acknowledged that he had shared the photo after downloading it, falsely claiming it was his own. We have given warnings to both of them as they attempted to spread rumours, which created panic in the area.”
Vaidya further stated that a forest department team thoroughly scanned the reported area in Vasai for several hours but did not find a single leopard pugmark or any signs of a big cat.
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