Watch: 'Mystery Creature' Appears During Indian Prime Minister's Inauguration Ceremony

By Tim Binnall

Viewers watching the inauguration of India's Prime Minister were left scratching their heads when a mysterious creature suddenly strolled through the background of the event. The weird moment reportedly occurred on Monday as Narendra Modi officially began his third term in office with an oath-taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is a lavish estate complete with a residence akin to the country's White House. During the event, various ministers also took the stage to be formally sworn into their respective positions, which is when those watching at home noticed the rather weird animal interloper.

As very often happens during live events, a capture of the curious creature's appearance quickly appeared on social media and sparked considerable speculation as to its nature. Given that Rashtrapati Bhavan is known to boast an array of wildlife on its sizeable grounds, some observers theorized that the animal could have been a leopard, while more imaginative viewers suggested that the 'surprise guest' was a ghost. The mystery was seemingly solved later in the day when the Delhi Police Department took to social media to squash the "frivolous rumors" by explaining that "the animal captured on camera is a common house cat."