CHENNAI: Police have launched a hunt for a woman who scared residents at a Tambaram locality with a cobra and collected money from them. A video of the woman handling the snake went viral, following which the police launched a search for her.
The woman was visiting households at Mappedu here, approaching people for money. At houses where people refused to give her money, she sat in the front and opened a basket she was carrying. While she started playing an instrument, a cobra emerged from the basket and slithered towards the houses. The woman appeared to be a snake charmer, and handled the snake with ease.
On seeing the snake, the residents panicked. They handed over clothes and money to her and chased her away. She is said to have visited every house in the locality and took money from the residents by showing the snake. A resident filmed her act and informed police and forest officials.
The residents said the woman told them that she is from Villupuram, and her son lives in Tambaram. She usually carried the cobra in the EMU train, while visiting her son. She refused to tell them where she got the cobra from.
The police and forest officials are searching for the woman.
