Bengaluru, (Asian independent) One of the city-based delivery boys, who attempted to sell two Sand Boa snakes with his accomplice for Rs 50 lakh, was just nine days old on job, the Dunzo startup said on Thursday.
“Mohammed Rizwan was active on the Dunzo platform between April 13 and Tuesday,” a Dunzo spokesperson told IANS. Rizwan was not an employee, but was roped in for Dunzo deliveries by a third party.
Following the ‘double headed’ serpent selling attempt from a Dunzo delivery box used to ferry food parcels, groceries, meat, medicines, pet supplies and others, the startup has fired the delivery boy.
“Rizwan was a delivery partner and has been deactivated from the platform permanently post this incident. The incident happened outside the Dunzo platform, on the partner’s own time,” said the spokesperson.
Rizwan’s accomplice, Azar Khan, was not connected to the startup in any way.
According to the delivery platform, the delivery boys undergo training before going on job.
“Rizwan, like all other delivery partners on Dunzo who are individual, third-party contractors, went through the mandatory training and safety procedures at the time of onboarding,” said the spokesperson.
Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain said the delivery boys were not clearly telling from where they procured the reptiles.
“We have come across illegal liquor sales during the lockdown but attempting to sell Sand Boas out of a delivery box is out of the box thinking. Nothing concrete on the source of the snakes has emerged so far. We are still probing the matter,” Jain told IANS.
He said the police had received a tip-off about the duo trying to contact potential buyers via WhatsApp calls and other platforms.
The Crime Branch has handed over the duo and the reptiles to Kaggalipura forest officials who will charge the culprits under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
