A wealthy Indian couple with no children has made their sole heir a pet monkey.
Brajesh
Srivastava and his wife Shabista named their beloved pet Chunmun as
their beneficiary to ensure he is looked after if he outlives them.
The lucky primate will inherit their £73,000 house and a 200-yard plot, as well as any money left in the couple's bank account.
Shabista,
from Uttar Pradesh, north India, said they made the decision because
Chunmun has brought them fortune and stopped them feeling lonely.
The 45-year-old said: 'People might say we are mad, they might even ridicule us.
But we know how valuable Chunmun is to us.
'We
are childless and Chunmun is a son to me. We want to ensure that even
when we are not alive, Chunmun's life is not affected and he continues
to live the way he does.'
The couple,
who were cast out after marrying against their parents' wishes, bought
the monkey for 500 rupees (£5.20) in 2004 after he was orphaned.
They had little money when they got him but have since prospered.
Shabista
is now a successful lawyer while Brajesh, 48, owns several businesses
including a cable TV network and a flour mill - all named after Chunmun.
The
ten-year-old monkey lives in an air-conditioned room in the couple's
house, which he shares with his 'wife' - a female simian called Bitti.
The
couple even arranged a lavish wedding for the two primates and host an
annual 'wedding anniversary' party, which hundreds of their friends
attend.
Chunmun and Bitti are given pomegranates and a glass of milk each for breakfast.
At lunchtime they gorge on lentils, bread, vegetables and homemade chutney.
Shabista also treats them to Chinese food and mango juice.
After
Chunmun's death, the money will go towards the welfare of other
monkeys in India, where the animals are frequently abused.
According to the Chinese zodiac, people born in the Year of the Monkey succeed in accounting and business careers.
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