The narrative describes the "Monkey-Man" phenomenon that occurred in Delhi and its surrounding areas in 2001. The story begins with Anil Gopal, who was attacked by a creature that he described as monkey-like. Over the next two weeks, similar incidents occurred in the neighbourhood, with victims reporting being attacked by a creature that disappeared into the night. The descriptions of the creature varied, with some victims claiming it was more human-like, while others described it as more monkey-like.
The fear and panic caused by these incidents led to the formation of vigilante groups who patrolled the areas armed with sticks and weapons. However, these groups often attacked innocent people, leading to arrests for spreading fake rumours. The Delhi Police, under the leadership of Ajay Raj Sharma, deployed over 3,000 officers to the hotspots of the Monkey-Man and ensured uninterrupted power supply in these areas. Despite these measures, the incidents did not cease.
The mystery of the Monkey-Man was eventually explained as a form of Mass Hysteria, a phenomenon where a group of people depict unusual, irrational behaviour and start believing in illogical things. The doctors from the Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital in New Delhi, Dr S.K. Verma and Dr D.K. Srivastava, investigated 397 calls reporting attacks by Monkey-Man and found that only 51 calls were worth investigating. They concluded that the case of Monkey-Man was a typical example of Mass Hysteria.
The injuries suffered by the victims were found to be real, but they were caused by rodents and stray dogs, not a supernatural creature. The injuries were often caused by victims colliding with various objects while running in panic. The Delhi Police suspected that some people were making false reports to get electricity restored in their areas. The city authorities found a pattern that the areas where Monkey-Man was reported to be in, once they restored the electricity, it would calm the situation and people would go inside their homes to sleep.
In conclusion, the "Monkey-Man" phenomenon was a cultural phenomenon that was caused by a combination of factors including stress, anxiety, environmental factors, and psychological factors. The fear and panic caused by these incidents led to the formation of vigilante groups who often attacked innocent people. The mystery was eventually explained as a form of Mass Hysteria.
1. The incident of the Monkey-Man occurred in Delhi and its neighboring areas between April 2001 and May 2001.
2. The Monkey-Man was reported to have attacked people, causing injuries such as scratches and bite marks.
3. The attacks were said to occur in the middle of the night, when people were sleeping on the roof or outside their homes.
4. The Monkey-Man was described as a creature that was half human and half monkey, with features varying from person to person.
5. The Delhi Police received about 100 calls of people reporting to have been attacked by the Monkey-Man.
6. The fear caused by the Monkey-Man led to many people stopping sleeping outdoors and forming vigilante groups.
7. The Delhi Police deployed more than 3,000 police officers to the hotspots of Monkey-Man at night.
8. The incidents of Monkey-Man slowly declined after 25th May 2001, and the Delhi Police started taking strict action against the people making fake calls to the police.
9. The Delhi Police made 2 sketches of the Monkey-Man based on the descriptions provided by the victims.
10. The Delhi Police announced a reward of ₹50,000 to be given to the person who could nab Monkey-Man.
11. The mystery of the Monkey-Man was eventually classified as a case of Mass Hysteria.
12. The injuries suffered by the victims were found to be real, but were caused by rodents and stray dogs, not a supernatural Monkey-Man.
13. The Delhi Police suspected that the areas from where they were getting the most calls about Monkey-Man were the areas that faced the most power cuts.
14. The Delhi Police warned people that they shouldn't call unnecessarily, which led to fewer cases being reported.
15. The incident was depicted in the film Delhi 6 starring Abhishek Bachchan.