Permission to Capture 41 Cobras in Sangli's Battis Shirala Triggers Row

A decision by the forest department to allow the capture of 41 male Indian cobras in Battis Shirala village in Sangli district has sparked a major controversy, with questions raised over the timing and intent of the move.

The permission was granted by the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) to the Sangli forest department. Under the order, authorities were permitted to capture the 41 Indian spectacled cobras for "educational purposes" during a window scheduled between August 10 and August 20.

However, the move quickly faced scrutiny from within the department's own legal ranks. Dhiraj Mirajkar, a long-time legal adviser to the forest department, questioned both the rationale and the scheduling of the capture operation.

Mirajkar raised concerns over whether the educational exercise served as a backdoor attempt to bypass court-mandated restrictions on handling live snakes during the annual festival of Nag Panchami, which was observed on August 17.

Battis Shirala has a long-standing historical tradition of live snake worship during Nag Panchami. The practice of capturing and using live snakes for the festival rituals was banned in 2006 following legal petitions filed by wildlife activists, making any handling or capture of the reptiles around the festival period a matter of strict legal sensitivity.