When Tales of the Monkey Man Created Mass Hysteria and Panic in Delhi in 2001

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Decades ago, there were reports of people in Delhi allegedly falling prey to mass hysteria. Some readers might wonder what it is. Mass hysteria is a form of sociological phenomenon in which a group of people regardless of similarities experience panic, alarm, and anxiety over an occurrence. In recent times, mass hysteria has become far more common than we might imagine.

From the infamous tales of a fictional barber or witch that spread through the streets of Rajasthan and Delhi to the more recent hysteria over the alleged kidnapping of more than 500 women in the first month of January 2026, incidents of mass hysteria are quite common in India.

One such story is that of the mysterious “Monkey man,” also known as the “Kala Bandhar,” which sent shivers of fear and panic among the residents of Delhi back in 2001.

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Amid the rising headlines over Delhi’s missing and kidnapping cases, several social media users and the Delhi Police debunked some of the exaggerated reports disseminated by media houses. Many users even claimed that the move was being concealed as a paid promotional PR exercise. One X user cited several instances of mass hysteria that have occurred over the years, especially in New Delhi.

Twenty-five years ago, an unverified rumour that spread through the streets of Delhi led to the death of a man and left several others injured. What was the mass hysteria surrounding the infamous “Monkey man”? Let’s read further to find out.

Delhi’s Evil Monkey man: A Man or a Myth?

The story of the incident sounds like a chapter from folklore, seldom narrated by grandparents. While the story’s authenticity cannot be verified, its consequences serve as evidence, as reported by several media houses 25 years ago. In a news article dated May 18, 2001, The Guardian’s Luke Harding described the atmosphere in the national capital, explaining that the sightings and mysterious attacks attributed to the Monkey man were nothing short of a horror film.

According to several reports, a monkey-like creature attacked people in Delhi at night, usually between midnight and 4 a.m. The reports claimed that the mysterious creature was around four feet tall and had metal claws and glowing red eyes.

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Some eyewitnesses even alleged that the monkey wore a metal helmet. The fear spread with such intensity that, according to reports, one man fell from a building after a neighbour shouted, “The Monkey man is here!”

People of Delhi, stricken with fear, complained to the authorities, demanding prompt action to catch the evil monkey. The BBC reported that more than 30 people were injured amid the panic to escape the monkey’s alleged wrath.

The police were directed to shoot the creature on sight to put an end to the “ape-like menace.” PTI reported that on one night alone, the police received more than 30 distress calls from panic-stricken Delhi residents.

After more than 300 reported sightings of the horrifying creature, the menace of the Monkey man became far more than a mere myth. Years later, tales of the Monkey man turned into a cult-classic part of Delhi’s history. The creature even appeared in Rakesh Omprakash Mehra’s film Delhi-6 (2009) starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor.

The mysterious monkey was said to have attacked people under the cover of night, yet there were no reports of it ever being caught. The myth of the Monkey man was never fully understood, with no clear clue about its origin or purpose. The panic surrounding the Kala Bandhar came and went just like a myth.

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