Cockfighting, betting rampant in rural areas of Gurdaspur, police on toes

Ravi Dhaliwal

Gurdaspur, December 20

The police have cracked the whip against cockfighting following reports that lakhs of rupees were changing hands and birds were being subjected to a torturous schedule before being pitted against each other.

Officers said this sport was rampant in rural areas. SSP Deepak Hilori said, “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards gambling and cruelty to animals.”

After receiving reports that betting was taking place at Alawalpur village on the Gurdaspur-Kahnuwan road, the police arrested three persons involved in organising the ‘bouts’, a euphemism for a fight. Around 20 persons fled after seeing the police party. More than 400 spectators were watching the sordid spectacle when the cops swooped on them.

An FIR has been registered at the Tibber police station under the Gambling Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act.

During a ‘bout’, two cockerels placed in a ring are forced to fight until one of them drops dead or is badly injured. To increase the aggression, the cockerels are tormented by having their beaks and feathers pulled out in order to make them angry. In a regular fight, like the one that happened at Alawalpur, the spectators had placed bets ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

“It is common for the owners to inject roosters with steroids and adrenaline boosting drugs. For two to three weeks before a fight, they are kept at a dark place to isolate them from other birds and hence deprive them of stimuli and natural behavior,” said an officer.

The PCA Act was clamped as cockerels received injuries, including punctured lungs, pierced eyes, broken bones and deep cuts.

The SSP said he had asked his officials to be more vigilant against this illegal activity.