Uttar Pradesh Alien Face Scratcher Panic (2002)

In 2002, a town in Uttar Pradesh, India, experienced mass panic as residents believed aliens were scratching victims' faces at night. Reports described a "brightly lit object" flying sideways, leaving scratch and burn marks on victims. The panic led to nighttime vigilante groups and demands for police intervention, resulting in confirmed deaths from police firing into crowds. Explanations ranged from insect plagues to "lightning balls," and the face-scratcher phenomenon ceased with the onset of the monsoon season.