On a tip-off, officers and staff of the Medchal district and the Anti-Poaching Squad raided a house in Venkatadri township of Chowdarguda village under the Ghatkesar mandal and found a python and a bronzeback snake.
The Anti-Poaching Squad said that one Sharan Moses was keeping the snakes there for the last one month trying to sell them illegally. His friend Vanorous Praveen of the same colony got himself photographed with the python around his neck and uploaded the picture to Facebook and Whatsapp to attract prospective buyers, resulting in the discovery.
The forest officials seized the two snakes from the house and booked a case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They said that pythons were a Schedule-I species, and that possession of and trade in them attracted imprisonment of three to seven years and a minimum fine of Rs 10,000.
The two accused have been produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Rangareddy, for judicial custody.