Overview

• On July 7 in Bulandshahr’s Jahangirabad area, a group of children caught a 15-foot Indian rock python and carried it barehanded for about three kilometres while filming themselves.
• Footage of the procession went viral on social media, drawing large crowds and widespread online attention.
• The python, classified as a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, was later released unharmed into a nearby forest.
• District Magistrate Priyanka Goyal and forest department officials confirmed they were not notified and have launched a formal investigation.
• Unauthorized handling of Schedule I wildlife carries penalties of three to seven years’ imprisonment and a minimum ₹25,000 fine under Indian law.