Cock-fighting reaches feverish pitch

Vizianagaram: Cockfights are being organised in the rural areas in Vizianagaram district for the past few days as the part of Sankranti celebrations. Actually, Bhogapuram, L Kota, Bittarapadu in Komarada mandal, Giyammavalasa and Garugubilli in the district are the major centres where cockfights are being organised on a large-scale.

Even the police cannot control the cockfights as the public and gamblers are organising the fights in remote villages. Recently, the police raided a den at Bhogapuram area and arrested four men for organising the cock-fight.

Sources said that the cockfights were started on Christmas in some places despite cops imposing the ban. The cockfights will continue till February. Some gamblers, including local youngsters, purchased the cocks at Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000 from some areas in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

Cock-fight is illegal where sharp knives are tied to cocks legs and the fight continues till one of the two fighting roosters die such is the craze for the game, said an organiser of the game on condition of anonymity.

The betting on fight touches peak stage and exchange of money ranges from Rs 35,000 to Rs 1 lakh in single cock-fight, he added. Police sources said that cock fighting fever is already at a peak stage with youngsters, realtors, rich farmers are taking part in the game. Some villages, which are in remote areas in Komarada and Kurupam, are well noted for such cock fighting where police cannot reach easily.

A gambler, who is participating in cock-fight says, “How can we give up the tradition, this is not a continuous process, we are participating in cockfights only for three to four days during Sankranti. We are not regularly organising the cockfights and betting like IPL betting”.