Kanpur: There was chaos in an unreserved compartment of the Chambal Express after four snake charmers released their reptiles.
According to passengers, the snake charmers were disappointed with the money they received from the onlookers after they conducted a performance. After a heated exchange with some people who didn’t give any money, they let out the snakes to scare them.
Panic-stricken passengers scrambled to climb to the upper berths, while some tried to hide in the bathrooms, Hindustan Times quoted Dheeraj Kumar, who was in that compartment, as saying.
According to Kumar, the snake charmers boarded the Chambal Express — which operates between Howrah and Gwalior — at Banda station in UP and got down at the next stop an hour later, at Mahoba.
Akhilesh Pratap Singh, officer in-charge of Government Railway Police at Mahoba station, said they received information about snakes being released in a compartment.
“We spoke to the passengers at Mahoba railway station and they confirmed the incident. The snakes did not bite any passenger but did cause significant distress,” he said.
The drama continued for about half an hour before the snakes were caught by their owners.
Security personnel carried out a comprehensive search of the compartment and the adjoining ones to be certain that the snake charmers hadn’t left any behind, before the train was allowed resume its journey.
Singh said the snake charmers will be interrogated once they are identified.
