Hundreds of crores of betting on cockfights

VIJAYAWADA: With the Supreme Court on Monday ordering status quo on the traditional cockfighting conducted during the Sankranti festival, police are getting ready to enforce the ban on the fights on which betting runs into hundreds of crores of rupees.

Though the police have not yet received the apex court order, they are aware of its gist that the ban be continued on the bloody sport.

The Supreme Court ordered status quo in the case relating to cockfights organised during Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh state. It asked the state High Court to hear the case afresh.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice HL Dattu and Justice AK Sikri made this order in petitions filed by BJP leader Raghuramakrishna Raju and two others who challenged the High Court order on the issue. The bench ruled that status quo be maintained till the High Court finally disposes off the case.

Interpreting the SC's order officially, the Animal Welfare Board of India, under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, in a communication to the DGP of Andhra Pradesh, said: 'It is brought to the notice of all concerned that the ban on cockfights is still in force and any violation of the ban will amount to a serious contempt of court.'

As there was confusion over the interpretation of what status quo is, at some places cockfighting was organised.

According to reports, cockfighting was being organised on a massive scale at Gandigunta near Vuyuuru in Krishna district. Cockfighting was going on under the glare of floodlights.

In other districts, the police are getting their act together to ban the sport. In East Godavari and West Godavari districts, organisers are keen on conducting the annual event.

They are interpreting the order of the Supreme Court as though it had allowed organising cockfighting because the SC said it had set aside the High Court order. Punters had even claimed it is their victory.

But the police say they would not allow the sport. Said West Godavari Superintendent of Police K Rahurami Reddy: 'We have not received the Supreme Court orders. As of now, we are following the High Court's direction that there should not be any cockfighting.'

Similar was the response of Krishna and Visakhapatnam SPs B Vijaya Kumar and Koya Praveen respectively.

In fact, the police have been patrolling the rural areas to curb cockfights. But organisers, mostly political leaders, have declared that they will go ahead with cockfighting claiming that the SC order was in their favour. Leaders of ruling Telugu Desam Party are upbeat as they can claim the credit for bringing back the traditional sport to life.

Rooster fights are common in West Godavari and East Godavari districts during Sankranti, which add colour to the festival. According to estimates, betting on cockfight involves around `100 crore to `400 crore. As the SPt has ordered raids on betting dens in the district, reports say the politicos are brining pressure on him.

Meanwhile, the Apex Court order is being interpreted by both parties ' petitioners Raghuramakrishna Raju and two others and respondent authorities ' as their victory.

The petitioners who challenged the High Court order claimed that the Apex Court has given green signal to the traditional cockfight games during Sankranti.

According to advocate S Rajender, there is no ban on cockfights in AP as on the date of High Court order. Even though if a ban is imposed by the government based on the High Court order, it cannot be maintained in view of the Supreme Court direction.

The Apex Court has categorically said that the order of the High Court which the authorities are referring to was set aside and remanded the case to the High Court to hear it afresh. In such circumstances, any orders or circulars issued with regard to cockfights will not be enforceable in view of the Supreme Court order.

Humane Society International/India representative Gauri Maulekhi, who intervened in the Supreme Court, to oppose the petition said: 'We expect and hope that the government of Andhra Pradesh implements the Supreme Court order in letter and spirit, and that anybody who involves himself in such illegal activity is booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.'