Monkey menace has assumed new proportions in some parts of the city with the simians now doubling up as extortionists for men out to make a quick buck.
Regulars at the Kalyanpuri-Dharamshila Hospital Road crossing near Vasundhara Enclave in East Delhi say this has become quite the norm in the area.
On Monday afternoon, two men with a monkey each went from vehicle to vehicle seeking alms. While those in cars quickly rolled up their windows, people in auto-rickshaws or two-wheelers did not quite have that option and had to reckon with a monkey pawing them at the prodding of the men who held them on a leash.
That they were on a leash was of little comfort as the men let the monkeys literally hop inside auto-rickshaws or plaster themselves on windscreens. Recently, at the same place, a monkey got inside a car in which a couple was travelling and left only with some money; bringing back to memory the days of when snake charmers shoved their snake boxes inside cars to get some money in the name of “naag devta.”
The reappearance of such monkeys and their handlers is a matter of concern since under Section 22 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, there is a restriction on the exhibition and training of performing animals, unless the person interested in exhibiting and training the animal is registered in accordance with provisions of the Act.
