\nWorse for the 14-year old, she and her father had to be whisked away to protective custody by the police fearing harm for their lives.
\n Eye witness accounts said Junali had prepared for the occasion, dressed up in her best but the effort and wait went in vain. Midnight came but the tryst with \u2018Nag Raja\u2019 never took place.
\nWith the entire Baghty area agog with excitement over the puja, thousands had gathered by the banks of Baghty River in Wokha district to witness the spectacle.
\nEven when the hour hand touched 1 a.m. the \u2018Nag Raja\u2019 failed to appear. By that time, the expectant crowd grew restless.
\nSensing the mood and apprehending some trouble, the local police stepped in and took both Junali and her father Lelenga, an Adivasi working on the agricultural farm of a Lotha local into protective custody.
\nA reliable source told Nagaland Post that the police have not filed any complaint against the duo but only took them as precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident.
\nBhandari police station, under which jurisdiction Baghty falls, could not be contacted for confirmation due to connectivity problem.
\nMeanwhile, the local authorities at Baghty said that Junali and her family had informed that she was only to perform puja to the snake to obtain healing. However, even after past midnight Sunday at the Baghty river, people said they were told Junali was supposed to marry a snake. It was not known whether Junali\u2019s puja or marriage has been rescheduled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"