The police in Rajasthan presented a bizarre explanation before a court hearing a murder case. The police said that a monkey fled with the evidence collected by them in the case.
The stolen items included a murder weapon (a knife), from the police custody, according to a report in Times of India.
What is the case?
The police are investigating the death of Shashikant Sharma at a primary health centre in Chandwaji area of Rajasthan capital Jaipur in September 2016. He was missing for three days before his body was found.
According to the report, the family of Mr Sharma alleged that he was murdered and even blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway after the recovery of the body.
The arrest
After the protest, the police arrested two people - Rahul and Mohanlal Kandera - five days later. Both were the residents of Chandwaji.
They were produced before the additional district judge's court. The bag containing all the evidence, including the murder weapon, was kept under a tree at the police station because the auditory had no space, the Times of India report further said.
"Monkey fled with evidence"
The trial passed several stages over the years, and when the court recently asked the police to present the evidence, they said it has been stolen by a monkey.
The bag had 15 other important pieces of evidence connected to the case, which are also missing.
The police gave a written statement in the lower court informing the bench that the evidence possessed by them has been stolen.
Angry court then issued a notice to the police, after which the department blamed a “careless” constable, the Times of India report said. The police also said that the constable was suspended following the incident, and he later retired and died, the report added.
