Monkey steals key evidence including potential murder weapon to halt trial

A murder trial has had to be postponed under bizarre circumstances after a monkey stole several pieces of key evidence before the trial reached court.

The monkey was able to snatch bits and pieces of evidence in the Indian murder trial, with a total report of 15 separate missing items of evidence, including a knife.

During a pre-trial hearing, Jaipur police had to admit that the evidence packet had been snatched while in transport in 2016, around the time the murder had been committed.

Their confession came in a written note to the court after they had been ordered to produce evidence used in the case.

Police also say that the officer responsible for the safeguarding of the evidence during transportation had since been suspended, retiring from the service and later passing away.

The case in question involves the killing of Shashikant Sharma, whose body was discovered three days after his family reported him as missing.

After his body was found his family protested by blocking a main road in the region, and under pressure officers arrested two men five days later.

Rahul and Mohanlal Kandera were both charged with the murder.

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Key evidence including a knife believed to have been used by the suspects to murder Sharma were collected and placed in an evidence packet to await the court date, but the evidence was temporarily kept under a tree due to lack of space.

It was during this time, police say, that the evidence was snatched up by a monkey and fled the scene, with none of the evidence recovered since.

Police said the constable responsible for guarding and watching over the evidence had been suspended and as a result retired from the police force, Daily Mail reported.

The public prosecutor and court has apparently expressed its frustration, with the Jaipur Rural Police Superintendent asked to clarify how a monkey could steal evidence.

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