The deceased’s relatives have demanded that criminal charges be laid against the “culprits”, reports Times of India.
The victim of the monkeys’ ambush, Dharampal Singh, 72, was said to be collecting firewood when he stumbled upon the monkeys near his village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
For unknown reasons, police said the animals became aggressive and started pelting Singh with bricks and stones from a treetop after collecting them from a nearby dilapidated building.
Mr Singh was struck in the head and died in hospital from his injuries.
Police had been ready to put the death down as a tragic accident and move on.
However, Mr Singh’s family has demanded that the monkeys face arrest and a full criminal investigation.
When police ignored them the family wrote to the authorities to complain and now police have been directed to seek out the troops of monkeys that committed the crime.