Hubballi: Enraged at the delay in sanctioning his pension, Mabusab Rajekhan, 68, decided to use a snake to strike fear among officials in
Ron,
Gadag, on Friday. Rajekhan, a leprosy patient, had been requesting sub-treasury officials to sanction his Rs 1,200 monthly pension.
On Friday morning, he caught a 4-foot-long
rat snake and slung it around his neck.
As he entered the office, he told the staff to clear his pending file and threatened to let loose the reptile on them. Panic-stricken staff members fled the office.
Finally, in-charge officer Ullagaddi convinced him that his file would be cleared in 2-3 days. Meanwhile, Kumar, a health department official, who often gave Rajekhan medicines, persuaded him to release the snake. He then took him home, a hut on the outskirts of the town. TNn
