Police in India's West Bengal province have arrested a contract killer who used poisonous snakes to bump off his targets.
Golap Sheikh, 42, a trained snake charmer, has been charged over five bizarre murders and is awaiting trial.
Snake charmers once symbolised Indian culture, enthralling westerners with their knack for making vipers and black cobras sway to the tune of their flutes.
Despite wildlife protection laws, they are still a common sight in many small towns with their trademark cloth-covered baskets.
Police say Sheikh has confessed to killing five people since October. Paid 2,000 rupees ($360) for the first job, his rate went to 5,000 rupees.
His modus operandi was as ingenious as it was simple. He staged his roadside show just outside his victim's home. Even as appreciative onlookers showered small change, he would casually release a poisonous snake that slithered into the victim's home and bit him.
