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The Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida police are trying to put their heads together to solve the mystery behind the creature that behaves like a monkey and has attacked citizens recently.
Vivek Gogia, deputy commissioner of north-west Delhi, affected by the so-called monkey man's strikes, refused to give his personal assessment. "I am sorry. In such matters, there is nothing like a gut feeling. We are investigating the matter professionally and will get to the bottom of it," Gogia told rediff.com.
Similar views were expressed by senior ranking officers of the Ghaziabad and Noida police, who refused to dismiss the case as a figment of imagination of the people.
On April 5, Anil Gopal, a resident of Sector 11 of Pratap Vihar in Purana Vijay Nagar in Ghaziabad district, complained that he was attacked by a monkey, while asleep on a terrace, at 01:45 hours IST.
For two weeks, there was no sign of the monkey or a complaint from any place.
On April 18, the creature returned with a bang. Vinod, a resident of Mange Wali Gali in Purana Vijay Nagar was alleged attacked by a monkey at 03:15 hours IST while asleep on the terrace.
The two incidents spread panic among people.
Many people felt insecure as the monkey allegedly attacked a wireless operator, sepoy Lakhpat Singh, at the Vijay Nagar police station.
The station house officer of Vijay Nagar police station, on instructions from superiors, asked his staff to maintain a separate register, to note down all complaints relating to attacks by the monkey on citizens.
Now, it is known as the nakabposh/monkey attack register.
Though the initial attacks were attributed to a monkey, later, the 'size' of the monkey and its description started varying.
On April 19, the creature attacked Raihasuddin while he was asleep in his hutment. The man, mauled by the creature, had to spend 21 days at home before he could resume duty at the Hamdard Dawakhana.
When this correspondent visited Sector 11 in Vijay Nagar, the victim was not available. However, within seconds, there were more than 100 people giving their descriptions of the creature.
"His back was very big,'' said one, and hence the attacker took on the description of a gorilla.
Anisa, the wife of the victim, insisted that she had seen the attacker.
Though the creature attacked others in between, its shape changed and it became a nakabposh on April 30.
According to the complaint register of the police, Pinto, son of Saudan of Kala Khera village, described the attacker as a nakabposh who injured him on his legs and disappeared from the scene.
According to the police, the complaint was investigated by the chowky incharge of Guoshala and it was found that the attacker was a nakabposh. This led the local police to name the register as nakabpost/monkey.
On May 16, the attacker acquired a new form, when Radha, wife of Sanjay of Sector 9 in Vijay Nagar, insisted that the attacker was a nakabposh who had gleaming bulbs on his otherwise dark black body.
Others asleep in the same room did not see anything of that sort.
A day later, the creature became a sort of a gymnast, who could jump 20 feet across terraces with ease. This time, the victim was Sarla.
Four monkeys were feasting at the Vijay Nagar police station canteen in Ghaziabad on Friday afternoon. When asked why they were not being chased away, a policeman shot back, ''We don't want to be bitten.''
The menace has spread to Mirzapur, Purana Vijay Nagar, Mata colony, Madhav Pura, Kailash Colony, Khayara Bhatta, Nasratpura and Shibbanpura.
Now, peace has returned to Ghaziabad, but the slightest provocation forces people to huddle together in their houses and not open the doors to even known persons.
On April 10, someone spread a rumour that the local police had arrested the 'monkey man'. In a matter of minutes, a crowd collected and the police had a difficult time convincing the people that there was no such arrest.
Though the incidents have decreased considerably, policemen in the district are keeping their fingers crossed.
"We are now having a good time. The menace has now gone to Delhi. Let the Delhi police handle it," chuckled a junior level officer of the district.
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