lordofgun
08-20-2002, 10:28 AM
A MYSTERIOUS flying object said to attack sleeping villagers has sparked mass hysteria and rioting across the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Police shot dead one man and injured 12 others when a mob of hundreds stormed the police station in Barabanki, demanding protection against what they believe is an alien assailant terrorising villages.
The object, described as a flying sphere emitting red and blue light, is said to strike in the middle of the night, leaving victims with burns or scratches on their faces and limbs, and earning it the name the muhnochwa (face-scratcher).
At least seven unexplained deaths in the area have been attributed to the muhnochwa, sparking panic among villagers who blame police for not providing enough protection.
Officials have suggested a raft of explanations, from an alien invasion to a new and unknown breed of insect.
Perhaps the most bizarre theory was that of Police Deputy Inspector General K. N. D. Dwivedi, who said that the assailant was a genetically engineered insect introduced by “anti-national elements” from outside India to cause mayhem.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-389122,00.html
Police shot dead one man and injured 12 others when a mob of hundreds stormed the police station in Barabanki, demanding protection against what they believe is an alien assailant terrorising villages.
The object, described as a flying sphere emitting red and blue light, is said to strike in the middle of the night, leaving victims with burns or scratches on their faces and limbs, and earning it the name the muhnochwa (face-scratcher).
At least seven unexplained deaths in the area have been attributed to the muhnochwa, sparking panic among villagers who blame police for not providing enough protection.
Officials have suggested a raft of explanations, from an alien invasion to a new and unknown breed of insect.
Perhaps the most bizarre theory was that of Police Deputy Inspector General K. N. D. Dwivedi, who said that the assailant was a genetically engineered insect introduced by “anti-national elements” from outside India to cause mayhem.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-389122,00.html