VISAKHAPATNAM: At a time when the Hyderabad High Court has made it clear that the state government will be held responsible if cockfights are being organised during the Sankranthi festival in violation of the rules, punters in north Andhra region appear to have oblivious to it. Sources say that large scale arrangements have begun for the traditional game on which the court has put a blanket prohibition.
Every year, the cockfights are organised with huge fanfare, especially on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam city and lakhs of rupees change hands during betting at the venues. Illegal make-shift belt shops are also set up and the liquor flows like water.
Taking a serious note of it, the High Court recently has told the government that the Chief Secretary and DGP will be held responsible personally if the ban order is not enforced in letter and spirt. The court has also asked the government to submit a detailed report on the initiatives undertaken not to allow the illegal game across the state. The cockfights, a traditional sports, are organised in two categories—with and without knives. The game organised with knives, which often ends after one cock is dead by the other, is more popular for huge amount of money is put on betting.
Every year, Parawada, Gajuwaka, Anandapuram, Pendurthy, Bheemili and Padmanabham have big cock fight venues allegedly with a strong backing from the local political quarters. Last year, cock fights were arranged on a large scale in Arilova region where punters not only from Visakhapatnam, but also from the neighbouring Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts took part.
According to police sources, punters plan well to organise the event far from the eyes of the cops and elaborate arrangements are done to keep the intervention of police to a bare minimum. “Consider Anandapuram mandal which has 20 small villages. The punters join hands and zero in on the areas which are mostly interior and inaccessible for the cock-fight venues. Moreover, they engage their men—may be a pan shop owner, roadside vendors and youngsters—to keep an eye on the police movement and alert the organisers in case a new person or vehicle enters the village,” said a senior police officer off the record.
“Even we receive concrete information about the game and they reach the venue as soon as possible, the punters and people disperse by then. We end up arresting a few people while the organisers manage to escape,” he added. Sources said that in the Vizag city region, punters are being patronised by low-rung local political leaders and police have to turn a blind eye to it.