On the fateful morning hours of Thursday, 19 September, a horrific and bad incident happened with me, in the back lane of the sector 104 market, behind Mithaas Sweets. Around 10:45 AM, I went there to buy baked good from a shop in the back lane.
Since market was half opened, I was waiting for the particular shop to open (Ozone Arcade complex). Two – three ‘sadhus’ approached me asking for alms. One of them had a ferocious snake wrapped around his arm.
I gave a Rs. 10 coin. The ‘sadhus’ then asked me to touch the snake with a bigger note. He unfolded the snake (he had guessed my fear of snakes). They then asked me to touch the snake with the Gold ring on my right hand.
I refused again. Seeing me lonely in the lane, the ‘sadhu’ started coming towards me with the snake. His two other friends joined him and surrounded me. He said that he would return the ring after touching the snake.
I went speechless as the ‘sadhu’ had unfolded the snake from his arm and had started coming toward me. He asked me not to tell anybody about this incident – that they have extorted the ring from me. I got scared and agreed.
The ‘sadhus’ left. Within five minutes, the shopkeeper arrived. On knowing the incident, he tried to find them, but they had disappeared in the lanes. This incident should be shared widespread to make people aware, especially ladies who, out of kindness, try to give alms to sadhus and engage in conversation with them.
In recent years, many such incidents of jewellery and money extortion by Gangs of Sadhus using snakes and sometimes chloroform has been reported. An eyeopener to not to fear, not to wear gold jewellery in lonely lanes and not to talk to strangers!
