Missing man found to have been killed over smuggling of snake

A 47-year-old Mumbai resident who had gone missing in June was found to have been killed in Satara, allegedly because he cheated a person over illegal sale of a Red sand boa snake, police said on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Udaybhan Pal, resident of Ashoknagar in suburban Ghatkopar, a police official said.

Pal left home on June 17 saying he was going out for some work but did not return. His body was found in a ravine below the Kumbharli hills in Satara district on June 25.

Investigation revealed that Pal was involved in smuggling of Red sand boa, a non-venomous species of snakes.

The snake is in demand in illicit markets because it is believed to have some medicinal properties and is also used in black magic, the police official said.

During investigation, Mumbai police zeroed in on Karad resident Pradeep Surve (47) as a suspect.

Surve was arrested last week. He allegedly revealed that Pal had taken Rs 21 lakh from him for obtaining a Red sand boa, but did not keep his word.

Feeling cheated, Surve allegedly decided to kill him.

On June 18, Surve and his friends Vinod Shudrik (30), Suresh Sonawane (33) and Akshay Awghade (23) took Pal to Koynanagar, where Pal was allegedly beaten to death and the body was thrown into a gorge at Kumbharli Ghat with the help of one Kalim Shabbir Qureshi.

Ghatkopar police last week arrested Surve and the other four under IPC section 302 (murder) and other relevant offences. Further probe is on.