In the Line of Duty - Monkeys Ransack Police Department

Policemen in the office of their senior superintendent collected loose sheets, torn files and valuable documents on Monday after a group of monkeys ransacked it and damaged virtually everything.

Additional police forces were called in Sunday to shoo away the monkeys.

Also Monday, grills and nets were installed to ensure the safety of the office, which stores valuable records for the courts.

Elsewhere in Agra, the simian menace has made life hell for residents.

"Women and children in the older city areas are very scared. The monkeys are violent and each day we receive numerous complaints," said Ravindra Choudhary, the chief of the animal husbandry department.

Last year a businessman started a campaign to catch monkeys and leave them in the forests but the intervention of animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi stalled the project.

There are thousands of monkeys in Belanganj area. They are a nuisance even in tourist areas like the Taj Mahal.

"So many foreign tourists have been attacked and bitten by the monkeys but the authorities do nothing to stop them from proliferating," complained tourist guide Raju.