His stick comes down fast, the rat is dispatched and then in a fluid, unbroken motion Mr Ubhare hooks his toe under the rodent’s tail, flips the corpse into the air and catches it neatly in a sack. It is like watching a footballer perform tricks in the park.

Mr Ubhare is among a 44-strong team that represents the frontline in the battle against an estimated 88m rats besieging India’s largest metropolis. Every night he and his colleagues endure filthy conditions and the risk of disease to kill rats with nothing more than a metal-tipped stick and a torch. Should they fail to meet their quota of 30 rodents by the time the sun comes up, they have 24 hours to make up the shortfall or lose a day’s pay.

Yet these rat catchers – deemed essential by the city authorities and recently the subject of a documentary shown at Cannes – are under threat. Animal rights activists want to put an end to the rat-killing, saying it is inhumane. Officials say the matter it is being considered.

Killing these rats is just a futile as getting Eric Holder to respond to a subpoena.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has filed a civil contempt of Congress lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder in an effort to enforce a subpoena to obtain internal Justice Department memos about the botched ATF Fast and Furious gun-trafficking operation.