Indian farmers dump bags of snakes in tax

AN official says two farmers fed up with bribery demands emptied three bags filled with slithering snakes in a busy tax office in northern India.

Uttar Pradesh state official Ramsukh Sharma says the 40 or so snakes of different sizes and species - including at least four deadly cobras - sent clerks and villagers scurrying atop tables and out the door to escape the office in Basti, about 300km southeast of Lucknow.

The two farmers had asked for tax records for their land in nearby Narharpur village, but tax officials withheld the files for weeks while allegedly demanding bribes.

No one was injured in the incident yesterday afternoon, and officials captured the snakes. Police are searching for the farmers, one of whom is known as a snake charmer.