Panvel resident become the first person to be booked by the Forest department for stunts with snakes

Performing stunts with snakes and also posting its images on social media proved to be a costly affair for Panvel resident Ajay Pawar who became the first person to be booked by the Forest department for these offences. He was also remanded five days police custody by the Panvel court on Thursday.

According to the forest department 25-year-old Pawar has been a serial offender and there were complaints filed against him by some of the Raigad based snake rescue organisations as well as senior snake rescuers.

“He was booked under Section 9, 39 and 48 (a) and 48 (b) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and brought to Panvel court where we submitted the images of him posing with various snakes including highly venomous ones as well as some where he was seen kissing the snakes and seeing it the Court immediately granted a five day police custody,” said Range Forest Officer (RFO) Shivaji Thakre.

Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) for Panvel, MD Chandanshive said that Pawar was being investigated for almost a month after they received complaints against him. “We had received several images of him where he was either seen performing stunts with snakes or displaying snake, which is a violation of the Wildlife Protection Act as the snakes are protected species. Some of the images included Pawar kissing cobra's and even him lying down next to Russels Viper and other where he was seen performing such risky stunts,” he shared.

Ganesh Mehendale of Organisation for Wild Life Studies (OWLS) one of the organisation that had filed complaints against Pawar shared that they had no personal issues with Pawar infact before filing officials complaint against him they even tried to counsel him several times and some of the senior snake rescuers even went to his house to explain the consequences of things he was doing with snakes.

“Unfortunately he was even bitten by a cobra couple of times yet was seen doing stunts. Infact he stopped posting images on social media after several of us kept telling him that it was illegal but we had information that he was still performing stunts regularly and it was then that couple of like minded organisations filed complaint with the forest department against him,” he said.

Priyanka Kadam, Founder of the Snakebite Healing and Education Society said that she was extremely happy with forest department taking up this case so seriously and taking it to a logical conclusion. “The arrest will surely be a lesson to not only Pawar but several like him who think its macho to perform such stunts and 'manhandle' snakes and no one will be able to catch them. While we will continue to counsel such youngsters such action being taken by forest department will prove to be a major deterrent,” she said.

Thane Territorial, Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Sunil Limaye warning such snake rescuers who abuse snakes said that the forest department will now be taking serious action against such offenders who are reported displaying snakes or performing stunts. “We are having regular meeting with snake rescuer community and are seeking their help to stop such unethical practises and have even invited them to come forward to register complaints against such offenders so that there is a fear. We will first educate and then enforce and all the violators will face similar fate as that of Pawar,” he said.