Three cobras rescued from snake charmer

Three spectacled cobras were rescued by CID forest cell and BBMP wildlife cell from a snake charmer allegedly involved in cheating locals on the main roads of Hunasamaranahalli on International Airport Road near Yelahanka. The snake charmer, Ramarao, a native of Andhra Pradesh, and his family, were swindling the public by promising them cobra pearls (Nagamani) (which does not exist in reality). 

According to one of the rescuers, Ramarao cheated innocent people saying that by possessing these pearls, one can avoid snake bite.

The rescue team, in an attempt to get more information from the snake charmer, posed as people wanting to buy cobras.  In the process, Ramarao demonstrated an act by cutting the head portion of one of the cobras to show how to remove the pearl from the reptile, and fooling people in the process.  But in reality, he had some low-cost gem stones which he had sold for Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 to many locals there. 

On enquiries, it was found that Ramarao had managed to sell those gem stones to many migrant workers in that area.  The rescuer said he was ready to sell the cobras for an amount of Rs 5,000 each.

CID forest cell police arrested Ramarao and booked him under Wildlife (Protection) Act.