Panther gatecrashes Thane party

THANE: The guest list didn''t include his name but he turned up anyway, giving his hosts more of a shock than a surprise at a marriage on Sunday morning.
The unwanted baraati turned out to be a panther, who entered the Krishnai hall on Gladys Alvares Marg (Pokhran Two) and made himself at home much before guests turned up for the ''muhurtam''.
The animal may have created panic among the marriage party, but as word of bizarre scenario spread, hundreds of locals turned to see the beast.The venue finally had to be cordoned off before the panther could be tranquilised by forest department staff.
The drama began at around 7.30 a.m. when one of the hall''s employees, Dattu Janu Jadhav, spotted the panther in the backyard.
"I went to collect a bottle of phenol and the moment I opened the door, I saw the animal. It jumped up at my direction. I ran for my life and alerted others," Jadhav said.
The panther''s entry in the hall surprised everybody, since it is situated in a relatively dense residential area. It had earlier killed a stray dog in the backyard indicating that it had come looking for prey. It did not retreat back to the forest which is a kilometre away from the hall.
The police officials came immediately to the hall but could do little except try to maintain order and wait for the forest department officials to trap the panther.
"The incident made all our arrangements go haywire," said Anand Bhide, the owner of the hall who along with his wife coaxed the guests to stay on for the ceremony "We convinced the cooks who had fled the scene to come back and begin their preparations," he stated. For the bride, Seema Kuwar, the panther''s entry was a good omen.
"After all the animal is the vehicle of Goddess Durga, I think she has sent her blessings," she quipped in all her bridal finery. The groom, Bhavesh Thomre, shared her feelings, "God will take care of everything," he remarked.
Panthers venturing out into human habitats have become a common feature said the divisional forest officer, A R Bharati.