Bareilly’s ‘Snake Man’ dies after cobra bite

The 60-yr-old victim had been rescuing snakes for the past 30 years

LUCKNOW : Moti Ram, 60, who was popularly known as ‘Snake Man’ of Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district, died after being bitten by a cobra while rescuing it from a house in Teachers’ Colony in Rajendra Nagar locality on Tuesday evening. He had been rescuing snakes for the past 30 years, said locals.

The incident was reported to the police as it was an unnatural death, but no first information report (FIR) or complaint was lodged in the matter.

Locals informed that 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, said a local cop.

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 policeman.

Man wraps snake around neck, bitten by it

In another incident, Dharam Veer, 30, a resident of Bareilly, also died of snake bite in Budaun while playing with the reptile at Kakoda fair organised on the occasion of Kartik Purnima on Tuesday.

The man 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 informed media.

“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, adding, “So far, no police complaint has been lodged in the matter and the body has been handed over to the victim’s family.”