PUNE: Finding it hard to live with your difficult roommate? Well guess what, there is a family who has been living with over 70 deadly snakes!
Ranjit Kharage (37), who lives in an apartment outside Chakan with his wife and children, was arrested for illegally possessing 72 snakes of two varieties to sell and smuggle their venom. He was assisted in this atrocious act by Dhananjay Belkute (30). A case has been registered against the two, who kept the snakes in wooden boxes and gunny bags, under sections of Wildlife Protection Act.
“We recovered 41 Russell’s vipers and 31 cobras from one of the rooms in the flat and investigations have revealed that the duo allegedly extracted venom from these reptiles and used to sell or smuggle it,” said a police officer from the Chakan Police station. They found the venom bottled up by the culprits in the house too.
The police received an anonymous tip off and reached Ranjit’s house on Sunday. “When we went there, Ranjit Kharage was not at home. However, his wife and children were present. We found that the snakes were kept in wooden boxes and gunny bags in the flat and even children knew about it,” said the shocked police officer,” said the police.
The members of the family were evicted and emptied from the house. As it was dark, the police returned next day to seize the snakes and hand over to forest officials. Sad to see that while on one hand we worship the snake as gods and feed them milk and pray for our prosperity, we also allow for such cruelties to happen. No matter the danger the reptile possesses, this kind of crime must be vehemently opposed.
Read Also: themangonews.com/india/shocking-over-150-snakes-enter-house-in-uttar-pradesh/
