Thane, Dec. 19 -- A leopard that entered a residential area in Mira Bhayandar in the early hours of Friday and triggered panic among residents has been captured by forest department officials, authorities confirmed.

The big cat had strayed into a densely populated locality and attacked seven people before being safely rescued.

The operation, carried out amid tight security and crowd control measures, drew the attention of local residents, many of whom gathered at a safe distance as the rescue unfolded.

Speaking to the media, Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the incident was more serious than initially reported. "The leopard attacked seven people, out of whom two got severely injured and have been admitted to the hospital. I tha...