JAIPUR: A fitness centre owner and an alleged accomplice of antique smuggler Vaman Narayan Ghiya, Rajesh Kumar Kapoor was nabbed after 43 rare species of poisonous snakes were found in his SUV by Transport Nagar police late on Tuesday night.
It is suspected that Kapoor was using snake products in weight-loss drugs for his clients at his centre, “Get Fat Free” in Adarsh Nagar.
According to reports, Transport Nagar police were informed about a suspicious person in a SUV. During a checkof his SUV, a Xylo, was intercepted andsearched. Police found three bags carrying various species of snakes including eight black cobras, 14 royal snakes and 21 red sand boa.
During interrogation, Kapoor told the police he bought the reptiles for ritualistic purposes (Kalsarp Yog) from snake charmers on the advice of a priest and was going to release them in the forest. However, later he confessed that he was associated with Ghiya and had also been jailed in the past for smuggling antiques. “I have been exporting and importing (smuggling) snakes and antiques to various countries. I did not know that it was a crime,” he said in police custody.
Sources said a fully grown red sand boa might fetch around Rs 25 lakh in the international market. Therefore, the total cost of seizure might amount to crores. As he has been associated with Ghiya, the possibility of smuggling cannot be ruled out, police said.
SP Hawa Singh Ghumariya told TOI that Kapoor was traveling in a Mahindra Xylo (RJ14 UA 1004) when the police intercepted him and found the snakes and two small ashthadhatu idols of Ganesha and Shiva. All the snakes found in the bag were listed in the scheduled list of Wildlife Act (conserved animal), and persons guilty of such crimes could get jail up to seven years, official said. He has been booked under various sections of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972 and IPC and his car was seized.
Police are searching his residence and fitness centre in Adarsh Nagar. Ghumariya said the police would hand over the snakes to forest department officials through a social organisation and they would be set free.