Cockfights dominate Bhogi festivities

Eluru/Rajamahendravaram: Almost a war-like situation has prevailed between punters and police in various parts of West Godavari district on Bhogi festival day on Sunday over the conducting cockfights.

The police and politicians interpreted the court order differently. While the people’s representatives contended that the Supreme Court direction on ‘Status quo’ to be maintained meant that the cockfights can be organised, the police said that they would follow the court’s direction and not allow the cockfights.

However, the cockfights started in about 200 rings in West Godavari district on Sunday morning. The organisers have started that the court has given permission for the cockfights.

However, the police conducted raids on the dens and stopped the fights in most of the places. During the raids, there were altercations between police and organisers in delta area. In Vempa village, Narsapur DSP T Prabhakara Babu and Armed Reserve Additional SP Mahesh Kumar with their force went to the cockfight ring and stopped the game.

The villagers almost revolted against the police by saying that the fight is going on all over the district and police were stopping it in Vempa only. After hectic efforts, police managed to stop the cockfight in the village. The locals were disappointed following the stoppage of the game.

The punters and organisers reached various rings in the district and used knives rampantly in the morning during the game at various places, including Vempa, Komadavole, Appanaveedu, Jalipudi and Koppaka areas in the delta and upland areas.

It was not known immediately whether cockfights took place or not in Koppaka and Kavvagunta villages as no media was allowed in those areas. The police said no cockfight took place in the areas in Pedavegi mandal. This falls under Denduluru Assembly constituency represented by government whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar.

On other hand, police conducted raids on various rings and removed some of the rings by the evening. The main event at Vempa was stopped by the police. In Ai Bhimavaram, Bhimavaram and other areas also the cockfights were organised.

In Dwaraka Tirumala mandal, the cockfights took place in Kommara and Gunnampalli. Hyderabad Municipal Corporation corporator Vijaya Reddy and her husband Avinash Reddy witnessed the cockfight in Gunnampalli village of Dwaraka Tirumala mandal.

Unguturu MLA Ganni Veeranjaneyulu started the cockfight in Gundugolanu village. The organisers did not allow the media to the ring in Gundugolanu.

BJP leader Kanumuri Raghuramakrishnam Raju conducted the cockfight without knives at his guest house, which many witnessed on Sunday morning. He said as per the tradition no knives should be tied to the cock and just a natural cockfight without knives should be organised which is called “Dinki Pandem.”

In Sisali village of Kalla mandal, Undi MLA VV Sivaramaraju and TTD board former member Gokaraju Rangaraju (Ramam), the brother of MP Gokaraju Gangaraju participated in the game. They have released the cocks without knives and enjoyed the fight for some time.

In Agency mandals of Buttayagudem, Polavaram, Kukunuru, Velairpadu the cockfights went on unabated. West Godavari police conducted raids at various places in the district and arrested 249 persons who were involved in organising the cockfights, according to District Superintendent of Police M Ravi Prakash.

Under Section 110 (e), they held eight persons. They booked 23 cases under AP Gaming Act Section 9(1) and arrested 122 people. They seized three vehicles and Rs 3,63,560 from the punters and organizers.

The police have filed cases against the 40 punters and organisers and arrested 127 under the AP Gaming Act 9(2) of AP Gaming Act. Despite court's directions and government restrictions on the cockfights, the blood sport was conducted in various places in East Godavari district. MLAs, MLCs and other elected representatives inaugurated the cockfights as usual in the guise of traditional sport (without knives) to the cocks.

In Muramalla, Mummidivaram MLA Datla Subba Raju inaugurated traditional cockfights in the same arena in which the event was held last year. All facilities were arranged for the people coming to witness cockfights.

In Konaseema area, the home turf of Deputy Chief Minister N Chinnarajappa, the rings were set up a Muramalla, Mummidivaram, Godi,Sakhinetipalli, Mori, Allavaram, Ambajipeta, Jaggampeta, Tuni, Kotanandur, Rampachodavaram, Ramachandrapuram, Samalkot, Peddapuram (the constituency of minister for home), Rajanagaram and Sitanagaram. Tents, flood lights, chairs, LED TVs etc were arranged at the arenas at many places for the visitors.