MANGALURU: Vitla police on Sunday raided an illegal cockfight at the Kepu village in Bantwal taluk and booked 27 persons, including former MLA Sanjeeva Matandoor and district BJP president Sathish Kumpala.
Acting on credible information that an illegal cockfight was being held on a field owned by Muralidhar Pai, a police team led by an inspector conducted a raid on Sunday morning.
During the raid, 20 roosters were seized. Despite police informing those present about the ban on cockfighting, the crowd refused to disperse.
Former MLA Sanjeeva Matandoor, district BJP president Sathish Kumpala, Muralidhar Pai, Dayananda Ujiremaru, Hariprasad Yadav, Ashok Shetty of Vitla, and Rajesh Balekallu, who were present at the spot, allegedly instigated the crowd to continue the cockfight.
After providing necessary security, Vitla police took 20 persons into custody and seized 20 roosters. A total of 27 accused have been booked under Sections 189(2), 49, 221, 223, and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Earlier, Puttur MLA and 16 others were booked for a cockfight at the same location on Saturday.