ELURU: It is virtually a fight between cockfight organisers and police personnel, particularly in West Godavari district. Defying orders of the Hyderabad High Court on conducting cockfights, public representatives participated in the blood sport in the district. The cockfights were held in about 200 rings on Sunday morning. The police conducted raids on the dens and stopped cockfights at several places.
During the raids, there was an altercation ensued between the police and organisers in Delta area.
At Vempa village, Narsapur DSP T Prabhakara Babu, along with Armed Reserve Additional SP Mahesh Kumar, and a team went to the cockfight ring and stopped the violent sport.
The punters and organisers tied knives to the legs of roosters at various places, including Vempa, Komadavole, Appanaveedu, Jalipudi and Koppaka areas in Delta and upland areas.
The cockfights were also held at Ai Bhimavaram and Bhimavaram. In Dwaraka Tirumala mandal, the cockfights were held at Kommara and Gunnampalli. GHMC Corporator Vijaya Reddy and her husband Avinash Reddy witnessed the cockfights at Gunnampalli village in Dwaraka Tirumala mandal. Unguturu MLA Ganni Veeranjaneyulu inaugurated the cockfights at Gundugolanu village.
BJP leader Kanumuri Raghurama Krishnamraju conducted the cockfights without using knives at his guest house. At Sisali village in Kalla mandal, Undi MLA VV Sivaramaraju and TTD board former member Gokaraju Rangaraju, brother of MP Gokaraju Gangaraju participated in cockfights.
Cockfights were held at Buttayagudem, Polavaram, Kukunuru and Velairpadu mandals. In Buttayagudem mandal, Polavaram MLA Modiyam Srinivasa Rao inaugurated the cockfights. The police conducted raids and stopped cockfights at AI Bhimavaram and Sisali in Bhimavaram and Komadavole, Jalipudi, Chataparru and other areas.
The police announced that Section 144 of CrPc was in force and no one should gather at the rings.
At some places, the police removed the rings. The police officials did not visit Denduluru constituency represented by Government Whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar.