New Delhi - Sightings of the mysterious beast known as the "monkey man" reduced significantly in India's capital, New Delhi, yesterday after police threatened legal action against rumour-mongers and human rights activists held a special prayer meeting to rid the city of the menace, writes Rahul Bedi.
"Delhi's residents, who have spent many sleepless nights because of the monkey man, are left with no choice other than to pray it goes away," said National Human Rights Council leader Mr Subhash Gupta after Saturday's Monkey Mukti Yagna or "monkey release prayer" in the city centre.
Described variously as a small man disguised as a black monkey with "computerised springs" on its feet and a black helmet on its head, the apparition has been responsible for the deaths of two people and the injury of 60 others after they fell from rooftops and stairs in Delhi's crowded eastern and northern suburbs trying to flee the beast.
Delhi police, who have set up a special team of detectives to hunt down the monkey man and offered Rs50,000 (£769) for information leading to its whereabouts, announced that anyone caught making hoax calls would face a six-month jail term or end up paying a fine of Rs5,000.