UP: Farmers carry out snake attack on corrupt tax officials

Lucknow, Dec 1: This was one slithering, slimy way to get back at corruption when two farmers let loose snakes from three bags into a busy tax office in Lucknow. The farmers carried out this extreme treatment after being fed up with alleged bribery demands by tax officials. The incident happened in Basti, about 186 miles (300 kilometers) southeast of Lucknow.

A set of more than 40 snakes from different species and sizes were unleashed on the alleged corrupt babus. The group also contained four deadly cobras. The Uttar Pradesh state official, Ramsukh Sharma stated that the incident sent officials and clerks working in the office run out in rage and some of them climbing on top of tables to escape the snake attack.

Sharma added, "Snakes started climbing up the tables and chairs. There was total chaos. Hundreds of people gathered outside the room, some of them with sticks in their hands, shouting that the snakes should be killed."

Police and forest officials captured the snakes in the office. No one was bitten or injured in the melee.

The cause of the farmers irk against the tax officials was that the farmers were seeking their tax records for their land in nearby Narharpur village. The officials are alleged to have withheld the files demanding huge bribes to release the same.

Sharma slammed the farmers' method of protest and called it unacceptable. The farmers who carried out the attack are on the run and have been identified as Hukkul Khan and Ramkul Ram. Khan is known locally as a snake charmer.

OneIndia News