Kin trap

Chandigarh, March 7: In Bengal, they did it with cages. In Haryana, they have marshalled rats to rein in rats.

White rats are on the prowl at the Karnal police headquarters to keep away their black brethren who have been nibbling away at documents and seized contraband.

No black rat has been seen since a pair of white ones were brought and let loose into the storeroom of the police headquarters a few days ago, officers claimed.

The menace is similar to the pillage at Writers’ Buildings around four years ago when the caretakers of Bengal’s seat of power went on nocturnal mouse hunts. Cages with traps were placed in the chambers of the chief minister, the chief secretary and the home secretary.

In Karnal, though, rodents are fighting their own cousins. “We have noticed black rats preferred staying away from the white ones. If the experiment is successful, they could be let loose at all police stations in the state to protect documents and materials,” an officer said.

Karnal senior police superintendent A.S. Chawla cited studies to show that the bigger white rats scared away the black ones and appeared upbeat about the plan’s success.

“We are testing the efficacy of white rats under the watchful eyes of an assistant sub-inspector. Unlike the black ones, the white rats are much bigger, which means they can be easily caught once their job is completed,” he said.

Another officer is looking to raise “an army” of white rats. “If the experiment continues to throw up good results, we will employ an army of white rats in police stations, courts and revenue offices across the state to save sensitive documents from the black ones,” he said.

Nothing appears out of the reach of the rogue rodents, who, besides gnawing away at documents and files, have also shown a taste for intoxicants: they have torn into seized narcotics and liquor pouches wrapped in clothes.