Man arrested after attempting to marry a cobra

One man hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons after attempting to marry a cobra – because he believed it was in fact the reincarnation of a beautiful woman.

The peculiar groom, Sandeep Pate, from the remote village of Badwapur in Phoolpur state in India, had attracted a large crowd at the temple where he was due to be wed, until police raided the building and interrupted the marriage.

What is even more strange is that Mr Pate is apparently not the only one who supports his intention to marry a snake.

The crowd of between 12,000 to 15,000 people also gave him their full support.Not only did they back him, but when the police crashed the ceremony, many of them threatened to riot as a result.

Police reinforcements had to be called in to disperse them to their homes in surrounding villages. Mr Pate also claimed he could turn into a snake when he went into a deep trance. Furthermore, the lovestruck man also claimed that the cobra itself had also promised to marry him on Easter Sunday.

Dressed in a white vest and trousers, he was given fresh flowers by the crowd. The priest who was due to conduct the ceremony claimed that Mr Pate had exhibited "snake-like" traits since childhood.

He added: “Sandeep walks, drinks and flickers his tongue just like a snake.” Once the police turned up however, the priest made his escape.

Shortly after the police arrived, Mr Pate and his father Dayashankar were arrested on charges of 'breaching the peace'. However, Mr Pate is not the only person to have considered marrying a reptile.

An Indian lady, Bimbala Das, attempted to wed a cobra at the village of Tala in Orissa nine years ago. After waiting for nearly an hour in vain for the inconsiderate snake to show up, she married a brass replica instead.