HYDERABAD: Making it clear that no cockfights shall be allowed during Sankranthi, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed the Andhra Pradesh government to constitute Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) under the 2001 Rules prescribed in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 in all the 13 districts at the earliest and in any event not later than Jan 31, 2017.
Further, the bench also directed all the district collectors, particularly East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur, to constitute joint inspection teams for each mandal in their respective districts, consisting of SI of police, tahsildar and a representative of either the Animal Welfare Board of India or from a NGO working for the cause of animals or persons involved in the prevention of cruelty to animals, by Jan 7 next year.
The bench comprising ACJ Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A Shankar Narayana was passing this order in petitions filed separately against cockfights in Krishna and Godavari districts during Sankranthi. The petitioners sought directions to the government to implement provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the AP Gaming Act, 1974 and to prevent the anti-social elements from organising cockfights.
The court made it clear that the district collectors, police superintendents and the police commissioners concerned shall be held personally responsible for lapses on their part in ensuring the implementation of the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 and the AP Gaming Act ,1974 during Sankranthi.
The court told the district collectors that two police constables and a photographer shall assist each of the above teams which shall be constituted on or before Jan 7 and that these teams shall be provided necessary assistance by the district administration to tour all villages in their mandal, and identify playgrounds/cock-pits where such events are proposed to be held.
Based on reports of the inspection teams, the collectors, SPs and the commissioners concerned shall take immediate action to ensure that playgrounds are not utilised for cockfights, if need be, by exercising powers under Section 144 CrPC. The inspection team shall be entitled to enter any premises to seize cocks/roosters, the court ruled.
While disposing of the petition filed by N Jagadish Kumar and miscellaneous petitions of others, the bench ordered that the collectors and SPs of the above four districts shall submit their individual action taken reports to prevent cockfights and betting by Jan 31. It directed the registry to list the case filed by the Animal Rescue Organisation of East Godavari district on Feb 6 next year.