Virudhunagar, May 28: A man in Tamil Nadu who was seen eating a snake in a viral video was arrested by the forest officials on Thursday. Vadivel, a 50-year-old agriculture coolie from Perumalpatti village, was seen eating a snake in the video which later went viral. He had also claimed that snakes were good antidote to COVID-19 infection. The forest department also imposed a fine of Rs 7,000 on Vadivel. Tamil Nadu Man Catches Snake, Puts it Inside Folds of His Lungi; Old Video Goes Viral.

According to an India Today report, Vadivel claimed that he had caught the snake in a field and killed it before eating it on camera. However, S Anand, the District Forest Officer (DFO) of Madurai, told TOI that snake was found dead in a drain. According to the DFO, Vadivel was drunk when the video was shot. Some people allegedly took advantage of the situation and made Vadivel eat snake. Pet Dog Saves Owner From Cobra Bite But Dies of Snake Poison in Tamil Nadu.

Those people also asked the man to make fake claim that snakes are antidote to COVID-19, according to Anand. "He chewed the snake, which was already dead, but he was lucky enough not to bite into its venom glands as it was later identified as a common krait," the DFO was quoted as saying. The common krait's venom consists of powerful neurotoxins that can paralyse the human body.

Fake news and misinformation regarding cure for COVID-19 infection have been rampant in the country. Readers are advised not to believe things that they see on social media and follow the government's guidelines. People should also get vaccinated.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2021 01:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).