Bareilly: He had been rescuing snakes for almost 30 years and had earned the name of ‘snake man’ in Bareilly.
But two days ago, Moti Ram, 60, died after being bitten by a cobra while rescuing it from a house in Teachers’ Colony in Rajendra Nagar locality.
The incident was reported to the police as it was an unnatural death, but no FIR or complaint was lodged in the matter.
According to reports, Moti Ram had caught the snake safely, but became a bit relaxed while putting it into the rescue bag during which he was bitten on a finger of his right hand.
The man’s condition started deteriorating after the snake bite and he was rushed to a nearby primary health centre, from where he was referred to the district hospital. The victim succumbed during treatment, said the police spokesman.
“He had caught hundreds of snakes in the past years but this time, his luck ran out and he died due to snake bite,” said a family member.
Meanwhile, in a related incident, a 30-year-old man died of snake bite in Badaun while playing with the reptile at Kakoda fair organised on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.
The deceased Dharam Veer was apparently enamoured by a snake charmer moving with a snake around his neck.
The victim too tried the same but was bitten by the snake, a police official said.
“Though the snake charmer said the snake is not poisonous, the victim’s health started deteriorating after the bite and he was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed during treatment,” he said.
–IANS