Reward offered for 'Monkey Man' capture

Artists impressions of the now imfamous 'Monkey Man' have appeared in the Indian press

NEW DELHI, India -- The Delhi police have announced the formation of a crack team dedicated to nabbing the elusive 'Monkey Man' and offered a reward for his -- or its -- capture.

The elusive "monkey man" has spread panic among New Delhi residents following confirmation that dozens of people have animal-bite injuries.

"We are going to zero down on this very early and put an end to this menace," spokesman Ravi Pawar said, adding that 50,000 rupees ($1,063) would be awarded to anyone giving information which leads to his capture.

Two terrified residents of the city's suburbs, including a pregnant woman, fell to their death earlier this week on hearing cries in the neighbourhood warning that the attacker was nearby.

VIDEO Correspondent S. Haidar reports on the continuing scare of a strange creature reportedly biting and scratching residents of New Delhi, India (May 17) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Victims show their scars to CNN's Satinder Bindra (May 16) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Collective hysteria then set in after many people said they had been scratched or bitten by the creature while they were sleeping on terraces, particularly during power cuts.

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to patrol the city through the night after the sightings were reported in the east and northeast of the capital.

On Wednesday night, however, police started to receive calls from scared residents in other parts of the city.

Police said the calls usually turned out to be more a result of emotional and panic imaginations rather than an actual encounter.

Noises, suspicious shadows and even hearsay had caused residents to call the police.

"No one saw the actual monkey-man. But there was no paucity of wild stories," said a senior police officer, as quoted by the Times of India newspaper.

Ruse to secure power supply

Stories circulating suggested the creature preyed on people sleeping on the roofs -- a habit among poor Delhi residents to cope with hot summer nights.

However, in the first reported case of an indoor attack, an 18-year-old boy claimed he was attacked and scratched by a creature with "brown fur, resembling a monkey" in his residence on Wednesday afternoon.

Some police officers started to make a connection between the sighting calls and New Delhi's frequent power failures.

They suspected that some residents called the police every time there was a power failure because they believed police would be forced to restore power before starting a search.

There were different versions of how the "monkey-man" looked. Two portrait sketches, based on the creature's victims, suggested it was human.

One showed a swarthy broad-faced bearded man with a flat nose, thick lips and a piercing stare. The other, which could hardly have been more different, portrayed a narrow-faced man with a receding hairline, a scrappy moustache and dark glasses.

However, some residents said the creature was "as small as a cat" and had metallic hands, while a few others claimed it was a monkey who could turn into a cat.

Monkeys run wild in New Delhi and on the outskirts of the city. Sometimes they pounce on unsuspecting pedestrians or enter houses.

Police suspected the terrorizing creature was an animal, but the city's zoo director, P.S. Bonal ruled out the possibility.

Another police officer told the Times of India: "The only thing that we have been able to fathom is that a prankster, with a sick sense of humor, is behind the attacks.

"However, nine out of ten sighting are bogus. Apparently, everybody wants his moment of glory. These bogus sighting are making it impossible for us to get to the bottom of the matter."

Reuters contributed to this report.