Moment leopard barges into alcohol store and attacks shopkeeper before he manages to lock cat inside

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A savage leopard was caught on CCTV mauling a shopkeeper - before he managed to escape and trap it in the store.

Sanjay Gurjar had been tending to his alcohol shop in Todaraisingh, Rajasthan, on Sunday morning when the beast leapt through the open front door. 

With not a moment to spare, the 25-year-old tried to back away and shove a chair in the direction of the big cat but to no avail.

The leopard, believed to be a five-year-old male, pounced on the shopkeeper and tried to sink its teeth into his shoulder while gripping his upper body with its claws.

During the scuffle, the shopkeeper managed to push the animal away and leap out of the front door, while the leopard appears to skulk into the backroom.

Once he escapes, Mr Gurjar - who suffered claw injuries to his shoulder, hand and nose and later passed out - quickly pulled down the shop shutters and trapped the beast inside.

The leopard then slinked around the room, knocking over bottles before eventually settling underneath the counter.

Police enforced a wide cordon around the shop and shut down the local market nearby while they waited for animal specialists to arrive.

Five hours later, the beast was tranquillised with a single dart and underwent medical checks before being returned to the wild.

Virender Singh Krishniya, deputy conservator of forests, claimed that the animal had come close to the town while looking for prey.

Regarding the attack, Mr Gurjar reportedly said: 'I somehow pushed the leopard away and ran towards the exit.

'As I ran, I pulled the shutter down. Then I lost consciousness.'

A second CCTV angle showed the leopard sprinting into the shop after attacking another man moments earlier. 

The animal jumped on Fateh Lal Koli, 40, pushing the man to the floor. A third man, a forest volunteer named locally as Rakesh, was attacked earlier the same morning.

He had been called out to check bushes near residents' homes after the beast had wandered into the town from nearby hills. 

The leopard pounced on him before running into Mr Gurjar's shop. 

Both men sustained injuries.