{
  "id": 14090639,
  "title": "Thorny roofs, hired guard and mass killing claims: Chhattisgarh village’s langur problem",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/thorny-roofs-hired-guard-and-mass-killing-claims-chhattisgarh",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T01:55:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-devgaon-langur-menace-10918666/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the village of Devgaon in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara district, residents have long struggled with a langur problem. For the last 4-5 years, hundreds of grey langurs have descended on the village daily, hanging from rooftops, blocking roads, and raiding kitchens and fields. Recently, a viral video showing two dead langurs led to allegations that as many as 22 had been shot dead by a hired guard who was paid 2 kg of rice per month from every household. The guard, Kalam Pardhi, claimed he only used his firearm to chase the monkeys away, not to kill them, and that he had seen other langurs being shot and their bodies floating in the river. However, villagers dispute the numbers, explaining that langurs represent Lord Hanuman and that they never authorized Pardhi to use a gun. The Forest Department is investigating the incident, while village officials maintain that the problem has worsened in recent years, and no other village in the area has hired a guard to deal with the issue.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Devgaon village in Chhattisgarh struggles with langur problem for 4-5 years.",
    "Viral video shows 22 langurs allegedly killed by hired guard Kalam Pardhi.",
    "Villagers dispute guard's claims, say langurs symbolize Lord Hanuman."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The escalation of primate raids in Devgaon has pushed local residents toward unauthorized and potentially violent measures that now threaten the village's spiritual traditions and legal standing.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Thorny roofs, hired guard and mass killing claims: Chhattisgarh village’s langur problem",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/thorny-roofs-hired-guard-and-mass-killing-claims-chhattisgarh-14095009",
        "published": "2026-10-13T01:55:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}