New turn to man-animal conflict in MP; charmer lynched over possesion of snake

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: In another incident that makes human lives seem cheaper compared to animals, a man was lynched for possessing a snake on Nag Panchami day in Indore. In past three days, two persons were killed in incident related to cows.

The man, Prakash Nath, belonged to snake charmers’ community but was not a regular snake charmer. On Nag Panchami Day, he was carrying the snake for being worshipped by a particular group of people.

Catching or displaying snake for commercial purpose is banned in Madhya Pradesh and every year a campaign is launched on Nag Panchami day to take action on those found carrying snakes.

Nath’s son Pawan, who was accompanying him at the time of incident alleged that they accosted by a team of forest employees and some members of a non-government organization at Antim Chowk in Malharganj locality. This team reportedly caused Nath and Pawan to fall by hitting their motorcycle.

Later, Nath was beaten up badly despite presence of two policemen from Malharganj police station, they alleged. When he became unconscious, these people fled the spot. Pawan took his father to hospital with help of some local people, but he was declared dead on arrival.

Sources said that the short postmortem report indicates grievous external and internal injuries on Nath’s body.

Pawan alleged that despite his complaint, police registered only a case of accidental death.

Meanwhile, forest officials have denied that their team was involved in assaulting Nath. A senior official said that the forest team on confiscated the snake from Nath and that the charmer died half hour after the team had returned from its raid.