Villagers of Dakshin Kherkata in Jalpaiguri on Sunday stopped their children from venturing out of home, a day after a leopard dragged and killed 12-year-old Sushila Goala.

Foresters installed two cages in two locations of the village on Sunday, hoping to trap the leopard.

On Saturday evening, Sushila was just standing outside her house when a leopard pounced on her and dragged her away. Her lifeless body was found around a kilometre away from her home.

“All of us are scared that the leopard might attack again. Unless it is trapped, we will not allow our children to leave home. We have also asked our elderly residents to stay indoors, particularly during evening and night hours,” said Asaf Chhetri, a villager.

Rafique Alam, another resident of Dakshin Kherkata, blamed the forest department for the incident.

He said that over the past few weeks, cattle and poultry had gone missing from the village, but foresters ignored these signs.

“We had informed foresters that the missing cattle and poultry were signs that one or more leopards had strayed into our village. But they did nothing. On Saturday, a girl lost her life,” said Alam.

Rajib Dey, the additional divisional forest officer of the Gorumara wildlife division, said that they were hoping that the leopard would walk into any of the cages set up by the foresters. The villagers have been told to be alert, he added.

The forest department handed over the compensation to the girl’s family, he added.

Santosh Sahu, a villager, said even adult men were moving in groups, fearing a leopard attack.