Uninvited guest & a marriage almost on rocks

A wedding celebration in Lucknow turned into chaos on Wednesday night when a leopard strayed into the venue, injuring a sub-inspector and two cameramen before being captured after a tense five-hour-long operation.

- NAMITA BAJPAI @ Lucknow

The dramatic incident unfolded at MM Lawn on Budheshwar Ring Road around 11:40 pm during the wedding of Akshay Srivastava and Jyoti Srivastava. As the celebrations reached their peak, the leopard gatecrashed the event, sending hundreds of guests fleeing for safety. Guests, catering staff, and even the bride and groom ran for cover as the adult leopard roamed the venue, turning the decorated arena into an abandoned site.

According to local sources, two photographers, scouting for the perfect wedding shots, were the first to spot the feline predator. One of them leapt off a staircase, while the other ran towards the lawn, screaming.

What followed was sheer panic as guests scrambled to find a safe refuge. Confused by the flashing lights and the screaming people, the leopard darted around the venue, searching for an escape.