Monkeys ran away with evidence in murder case, Rajasthan cops tell court

Cops have said that monkeys stole a bag of evidence in Jaipur (Representative Image)

Police in Rajasthan have said that keys pieces of evidence in a murder trial have gone missing thanks to monkeys. The evidence, including the murder weapon, was kept under a tree when monkeys ran away with it, police said. The bizarre explanation was presented in front of a lower court in Jaipur Wednesday, according to a Times of India report.

Jaipur Police said that it had gathered evidence in the murder trial of Shashikant Sharma, whose body was found in September 2016. He had been missing for three days before his body was recovered in the Chandwaji area of the Rajasthan capital. Sharma’s family demanded immediate action in the case and blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway.

Five days after the protest, police arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera in connection with the murder.

However, the bag containing evidence against the accused, including the knife used for the murder, was stolen by monkeys, cops said in a written statement when asked to produce the evidence in court. The bag was being kept under a tree at the police station since the evidence room (malkhana) had no space.

Jaipur Police blamed the loss of evidence on the carelessness of one cop who was posted at the malkhana. Police told the lower court that the constable later retired and died.