Police registered over 5,000 cases against individuals for allegedly organising rooster fights during the Sankranti festivities across Andhra Pradesh.
Cockfights, lottery draws, gambling and board games were organised without any hindrance at nearly a thousand arenas in West Godavari, Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, NTR, Visakhapatnam and other districts during the harvest festival.
Punters arranged huge tents, seating arrangements with air-conditioning facilities, floodlights, bouncers and private security, makeshift restaurants, liquor outlets, LED screens and parking facilities at the arenas.
Rooster fights were organised on a large scale, with people from Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal arriving here to witness the blood sport.
“Instructions have been given to the police officers to book cases against the organisers, punters and the abettors who participated in rooster fights across the State,” said Director General of Police (DGP) Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao.
“We have identified more than 3,000 persons involved in organising rooster fights. In some cases, the accused were arrested and produced in court,” a police officer of NTR District told The Hindu on Friday.
“Through CCTV footage, rooster fight organisers, punters, financiers and those who sold knives (which were tied to the legs of the roosters have been identified,” a Station House Officer of Krishna district said..
