With no clarity on according permission for organising cockfights during the Sankranti festivities, the police have stepped up vigil to prevent the traditional sport and other banned games in the State.
The police are conducting raids in villages and are booking cases against punters, cockfight organisers and manufacturers of knives at several places in West Godavari and Krishna districts.
“No permission has been granted for organising cockfights during the Sankranti festival. Villagers have been requested not to lease out their fields and orchards for conducting such events. Instructions have been issued against selling or buying fowls tamed for the competitions and making arrangements for organising such events,” said a police officer.
Eluru Range DIG K.V. Mohan Rao said that instructions have been issued to SPs to take all measures to prevent cockfights, gambling, ‘gunduata’ and other banned games in Krishna, West Godavari, Rajamahendravaram and East Godavari districts.
Raids intensified
“We have conducted raids in many villages and booked cases against those who were preparing knives, selling fowls and the organisers who are making arrangements for conducting the banned game,” said West Godavari Superintendent of Police K. Narayan Naik.
About 3,000 knives have been seized, more than 3,000 persons have been bound over in the district. Cases have been registered against the event organisers and punters, he added.
Instructions have also been issued to the Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), Circle Inspectors (CIs) and SIs to identify the arenas, habitual cockfight organisers, vulnerable villages and the knives manufacturing units, he said, adding that raids have been conducted in the villages in Jangareddygudem, Eluru Rural, Tadepalligudem, Narsapuram, Bhimavaram, Tadepalligudem, Tanuku, Denduluru, Dwaraka Tirumala and other mandals.
Krishna Superintendent of Police M. Ravindranath Babu said that the police had bound over about 700 persons in Gudivada, Kalidindi, Avanigadda, Kaikalur, Mudinepalli, Nagayalanka and other mandals. “We have seized more than 600 knives and booked cases against the manufacturers. Stern action will be taken against those who organise cockfights. We are taking all measures to prevent such events,” he said.