BAHRAICH, Oct. 19 -- The mutilated body of a 75-year-old man was found in the forest of the Motipur Range in the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division on Sunday, triggering panic among villagers living nearby. While villagers suspect a tiger attack, the forest department said the cause of death was yet to be established. The deceased, identified as Usman, a resident of Bankatwa hamlet under Rajapur Kala gram panchayat, had reportedly gone into the forest on Saturday evening to collect firewood. When he failed to return home by late night, his family members searched the surrounding areas but could not find him. The search resumed on Sunday morning, when his mutilated body was found among bushes inside the forest, around 100 metres from his home. Following the discovery, teams from the forest department and Motipur police reached the spot and began an investigation. Officials said legal formalities were underway. Divisional forest officer (DFO) Apoorv Dixit told HT that the body appeared to have been scavenged by wild animals. However, he cautioned against concluding that the man had been attacked by a tiger or leopard at this stage. Dixit also said the possibility that the body had been brought to or placed in the forest before being scavenged by an animal could not be ruled out. The exact cause of death would be ascertained after the post-mortem examination, he added....