Pilibhit (UP), Mar 21 (PTI) A 50-year-old woman was mauled to death by a tiger outside Pilibhit Tiger Reserve here on Saturday while safeguarding her crops, forest officials said.

According to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Navin Khandelwal, the incident took place in Gajraula area of the district when Ramoni (50) was safeguarding her crops in an agriculture field.

Some parts of Gajruala town falls inside the reserve.

"It was during this that she was attacked by a tiger from behind. Hearing the cries of the woman, people working in nearby fields rushed to rescue her," Khandelwal said.

Angered over the loss of a life, local residents refuse to hand over the body to the police and blocked the Richhaula-Mala road.

They claimed that the tiger attacked the woman around 200 metres outside the reserve by straying into the fields.

They also demanded that adequate compensation should be paid to the kin of the deceased.

Following assurances given by tehsildar Vivek Mishra, the residents handed over the body to police for a post-mortem.

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