Two Held While Selling Double-Headed Wild Snake

Hyderabad: Cyberabad Special Operation Team (SOT) apprehended two persons who were trying to sell a double-headed red sand boa at Pet Basheerabad on Monday.

Acting on a tip off, the SOT police said the arrested Venkatesh and Tirupati, who belong to Suraram Colony, were planning to sell the 5 feet snake to a person who could pay a huge amount that is allegedly Rs.35 lakh.

Though the existence of double-headed snakes is a myth, people believe that the red sand boa would bring good fortunes and so it is on demand.
Despite their living by selling firewood and other material fetched from the forest, Venkatesh and Tirupati used to dupe the people by selling them roots saying it would heal any disease and snake bites, the police said.

The snake is believed to be mythical as ‘double-headed’ serpent because of its blunt tail that looks like a head. There is also a superstition that the blood of the boas, which are being smuggled to China, South East Asia and Gulf via Chennai, brings fortune the bio-iridium of the snake can work as a rice-puller and earn riches to the keeper.

The SOT police had conducted a decoy operation on Monday and nabbed the two red handed with the snake. They said, the two persons captured the red sand boa and planned to sell it to a person for Rs.40 lakh. But they bargained it for Rs.35 lakh.

The snake was handed over to the Ranga Reddy Forest Officals and the accused were sent to Petbasheerbhag police station after registering a case against them under Section IX of the Wild life Protection Act. They said the red sand boa bringing good fortunes is mere a myth.

They also said the snake is believed to be mythical as ‘double-headed’ serpent because of its blunt tail that looks like a head. A few months ago, the Hyderabad forest officials arrested a gang with 3kg weighing red sand boa.

Sources said, there is also a superstition that the blood of the boas, which are being smuggled to China, South East Asia and Gulf via Chennai, brings fortune the bio-iridium of the snake can work as a rice-puller and earn riches to the keeper.