Snake charmer arrested after man dies of cobra bite

Police late Monday night arrested a snake charmer who also doubled as an exorcist and was on the run after a video emerged of one of his snakes fatally biting a man in Jatawas village in Jodhpur district.

The accused, Indraram Suthar (34), would treat people bitten by poisonous insects and reptiles through exorcism and sorcery.

Ummedaram, a resident of Pulanio Ki Dhani village lodged a complaint that his brother Baburam (42) had attended a night-long religious ceremony organized by a neighbour, station house officer (SHO) Deepsingh Chauhan at Lohawat police station told HT.

Indraram, who was also invited to the ceremony Sunday arrived there with a cobra, attempted to put the snake around the neck of the other invitees but was rebuffed.

He then turned his attention to Baburam. But as he tried to put the cobra which had not been defanged, around Baburam’s neck, the snake bit his temple.

In his complaint, Ummedaram said that following the incident, the snake charmer took his brother to a nearby temple and tried to treat him on his own for about two hours. But by then, Baburam had collapsed. He was then rushed to a hospital where the doctors on duty declared him dead, Ummedaram said.

After his arrest late Monday night, the accused reportedly admitted to have put the snake around the neck of Baburam, the SHO said. Incredibly, Indraram said he had garlanded the man with the snake in the belief that the snakes are not poisonous.