The tax office that really IS a nest of vipers: Farmers dump FORTY snakes - including deadly cobras - in protest against bribes

By JESSICA SATHERLEY



Venomous protest: People climb onto chairs and tables to defend themselves from snakes scattered in an office room in Basti, about 186 miles southeast of Lucknow, India



Two farmers fed up with alleged bribery demands emptied three bags filled with snakes in a busy tax office in northern India, an official said yesterday.

The 40 or so snakes of different sizes and species - including at least four deadly cobras - sent clerks and villagers climbing atop tables and scurrying out the door to escape the office in Basti, about 186 miles southeast of Lucknow, said Uttar Pradesh state official Ramsukh Sharma.

‘Snakes started climbing up the tables and chairs,’ he said.



‘There was total chaos. Hundreds of people gathered outside the room, some of them with sticks in their hands, shouting that the snakes should be killed.’

No one was bitten or injured in the incident on Tuesday afternoon, and police and forest officials captured the snakes.



Bid to stop bribery: Two farmers fed up with alleged bribery demands emptied the three bags filled with snakes in a busy tax office



The farmers had been asking for tax records for their land in nearby Narharpur village, but tax officials withheld the files for weeks while allegedly demanding bribes.

Sharma said their method of protest was unacceptable.

Police are searching for the farmers, who were identified as Hukkul Khan and Ramkul Ram.

Khan is known locally as a snake charmer.



Protests against corruption in India is not uncommon and nor is bribery.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators protested in August to support the creation of a new watchdog which would have the power to investigate senior bureaucrats and politicians.

And some Indian states have been posting online videos to air the stories of victims of bribery, in which they name corrupt officials.







source: dailymail