HYDERABAD: On Sunday morning, at around 9.30 am, a six-feet long rat snake entered the premises of Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar’s residence in Amberpet. There were around six to eight guards on duty at that time, but they preferred to call one particular constable, who was about seven kilometres away, for the search and rescue operation. The hero they were awaiting was constable R Venkatesh Naik.
Venkatesh Naik, a 30-year-old police constable attached to Hussaini Alam police station, is an expert in rescuing snakes. So much that many in the department consider him their “in-house snake catcher.” He has the unique glory of having rescued snakes from several ‘power houses.’ He has rescued one from Chief Minister’s camp office, and a couple more from spots in the city that US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka was visiting during her stay here.
On Sunday, Venkatesh says he got a call while he was on his way to the station. He was asked to go to the Commissioner’s residence as a rescue operation was needed. Like on many other days, he went to the spot, rescued the rat snake and handed it over to zoo officials. The constable says he was inspired by other volunteers who are in this line to take this up as a social responsibility.
“I happened to read in a newspaper about this woman called Swetha, who works with an organisation that is into rescuing snakes,” says Naik. “I was very inspired by her story and that’s how I learnt to rescue snakes. This is as much important to me as my duty as a constable. It helps me meet new people who do similar things that requires a lot of humanity,” adds Naik.
Venkatesh Naik’s father also works with the police. He drives the the vehicle of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Venkatesh says his father was a big inspiration in his life.
A regular duty
Naik has rescued snakes five times from the then additional DGP Sudeep Laktakia’s residence in Lakdikapul, three times from the DGP office and also from then additional DCP (police headquarters) Ravi Kumar’s residence.