Panic gripped the area near Mander village in the district on Monday morning after someone claimed to have sighted a leopard in the fields.
Soon after, forest department officials started search for the feline. Police said a farmer from the village raised an alarm after he claimed to have seen a leopard. The locals informed the police.
“Nobody came forward to claim that they had sighted the leopard or any animal. We called the forest department officials,” said Bareta station house officer (SHO) Sarbjeet Singh.
District forest officer Daljeet Singh Brar said there were least chances of a leopard being present in the area. “We stayed there till the evening but did not find any footprint to support their claim. It just spread like a rumour.”
The police asked the villagers to remain vigilant, especially after the sunset. The nervous villagers guided the forest officials in the afternoon.
“A passerby had informed a farmer about having seen a leopard in a nearby mustard field. The farmer later informed us,” said Satpal Singh, the village sarpanch.