Alipurduar, Aug. 7: An eight-year-old boy out with his friends to deliver lunch to his father in a tea garden was dragged away by a leopard, mauled and his head torn off while his mates hiding behind bushes watched in horror.

Rajabhat tea estate, where the attack happened, is 26km from Alipurduar town and right next to the Rajabhatkhawa forest, which is part of the Buxa Tiger Reserve.

Leopards are known to roam in the area but the way Umesh Munda was dragged away and attacked is rare, tea garden workers said.

His two friends Mukesh and Sakkhi, both seven-year-olds, were so scared after seeing the boy being dragged away that they ran back to their respective homes and did not tell anyone about the attack till Umesh's mother came looking for them. She wanted to know where Umesh was, because he had not gone to give the lunch box to his father.

The boys then told her about the leopard.

Two traps were set in the Rajabhat tea estate, which is in Kalchini, today to catch the animal.

According to the narration of his friends, the leopard pounced on Umesh's neck, which could have killed the boy. He was dragged about 30 metres by the animal.

When Umesh's father Pritam and his friends went to the spot, they found the boy's severed head lying beside his injured body.

Police have confirmed that the boy was killed by a leopard. "Our officers spoke to the boys who had seen the attack by the leopard. There is little doubt that the child was killed by the leopard. Foresters have confirmed it," said Abarul Rabindranath, the superintendent of police, Alipurduar.

Mukesh and Shakkhi said that after seeing their friend being attacked, they had not slept at night. "After the incident, I have not eaten and did not sleep last night. We saw the leopard taking Umesh inside the tea bushes. Our parents couldn't sleep either," Mukesh said.

"Mukesh and Shakkhi were with Umesh. Umesh was a little behind his friends. They heard some sound and when Umesh turned, a leopard pounced on him. The animal then dragged the boy into the tea bushes," said a forest officer.

The attack happened around 11.30am.

Around noon, Pritam came home and asked his wife why Umesh had not taken the lunch to him. She was surprised as she had sent the lunch through Umesh. The parents went to the houses of Mukesh and Sakhhi. The boys then told them about the leopard," the forest official said.

Ashoke Nagesia, Mukesh's father, said: "A leopard had attacked and injured me twice. But luckily I survived. Almost six months ago, a one-year-old girl was almost dragged away from the garden. She had been rescued by those in the garden. Four female workers of the garden have been mauled by a leopard in the past one month."

Apurbo Sen, the deputy field director of Buxa Tiger Reserve's (west) division, said: " Today, we set two traps in the estate to snare the leopard. The family members of the deceased boy will receive Rs 2.5 lakh as compensation. I will again ask the garden management to burst crackers before plucking starts."