Police warn against rumours as more ‘hairy’ tales emerge

TRESS LESS Cops start awareness drives, say residents getting swayed by rumours, panicking, claim many cases reported were fake

Five more cases of braid chopping were reported from the city on Saturday, even as Delhi Police trashed rumours of a “mysterious entity” at work and attributed the cases to rumours and pranks.

On Saturday, women from Uttam Nagar, Nangloi, Bindapore, Palam and Dwarka alleged that they fell unconscious and later found that their braids had been chopped off.

Till now, over 24 such complaints have been received by the police in the matter.

“These complaints do not have any basis. We have investigated these complaints and have established that it is nothing but mass hysteria. None of the women saw anyone entering or exiting the house. Our investigation also did not lead to any person who may be involved in these cases. There were no clues that were left behind. It is all psychological and people are just getting swayed by these rumours and panicking,” Delhi Police spokesperson Madhur Verma said.

Police have also found cases where women have been pranked by their siblings.

Many of these cases, cops said, were found to be fake. “None of these complaints have a basis and it appears the women are chopping their hair off themselves. Some women even came to us with hair extensions and fake hair, claiming their braids had been chopped off,” a police officer said.

In Dwarka, the wife of an inspector complained that she fell unconscious just before lunch and when she woke, she found her braid on the floor. Similarly, a 35-year-old woman from Palam alleged that her hair had been chopped twice in the last Begumpur Rohini

Nangloi Ranhola1 Uttam Nagar Bindapore Dwarka Chhawla Kapashera three days. She complained that someone chopped her strands on August 2 and then again on August 5. Both times, she complained, she had fallen unconscious after a severe headache before the incident.

A woman from Uttam Nagar on Saturday complained that her hair was chopped off by a “black image” in Ram Park. Another woman from Bindapore blamed a “strange animal” for cutting her braid.

To stop the panic from spreading further, the police have deployed patrolling teams in areas to started awareness drives to tell people that the stories being shared were mere rumours. “We have deployed teams who are educating people on the issue. They are telling them that there is no supernatural power at work here and it is all in their head. The staff are doing their best to convince people that the incidents are just rumours,” Verma said.

The police have also said that anyone who is found spreading rumours will be punished. “Strict action will be taken against anyone spreading rumours to create panic,” Verma said.

Delhi Police on Friday had officially solved its first case of hair chopping ,

The case was reported from the Sanjay Gandhi slum in south Delhi’s Dakshinpuri on Friday . It turned out to be a “prank” by young relatives of the 14-yearold girl, police said.

A 14-year-old girl had claimed that she had found chopped hair on her clothes, but had not seen anyone do it. A police team sent to the spot later found that the girl’s locks had been chopped by her nephews as a prank. The police claimed that the girl’s parents had given this in writing after which the investigation was closed.

FAMILIAR TALES OF FEAR, FALSE BELIEFS ››P8