Cop needed to pee, snake chose to bite

Answering nature’s call proved costly for an on-duty police officer when he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Assistant police inspector Manohar Hankare, attached to the Vikroli police station, was on patrolling duty on the Eastern Express highway, on Friday morning.

He asked the driver of the patrolling van to stop because he wanted to relive himself. After stopping the vehicle, Hankare went into the bushes along the highway near Panch Khadda area in Vikroli.

“While Hankare was relieving himself, a poisonous snake bit him on his left leg,” said senior police inspector, HRA Ansari, Vikroli police station.

Hankare, who did not immediately realise what had happened, shouted in pain. He saw a snake going nearby. A scared Hankare ran towards the waiting patrolling van. He managed to tell his colleagues what had happened and fainted. He was rushed to Wockhardt hospital in Mulund.

Doctors managed to save him. He is out of danger but would be kept under medical observation for the next couple of days.

According a senior police official, Vikroli police station, the spot where the incident took place has a small water body nearby where Ganpati immersions take place. The area is also surrounded by bushes, so there is a possibility of a snake wandering in from there.

 s_divyesh@dnaindia.net