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Read Full BioPolice in Udupi, in the Indian state of Karnataka, have arrested five people in a raid on an illegal cockfighting tournament.
The Times of India reported that Udupi’s Byndoor Police Station also confiscated five roosters during the operation late last week.
Police say the raid, which they carried out in conjunction with members of the local panchayat (village council), took place on Friday, June 6.
Officers said the cockfighting tournament was being held in a public place, near a government facility in the Navodaya Colony in Balavadi, in the village of Bijur.
A police spokesperson said officers also seized 1,490 rupees worth of “betting money.” They also confiscated two sharp blades (likely cockfighting spurs) and ropes used to bind the animals.
The spokesperson stated that the police have launched a criminal investigation. The Indian government banned cockfighting nationwide in 1960, but the bloodsport remains popular in many parts of the country.
Indian Police: Officers Bid to Stamp Out Illegal Tournaments
Cockfighting is illegal in Karnataka, but retains its appeal throughout the state. Early last year, police in Mangaluru, one of the state’s biggest cities, issued a public reminder that cockfighting is banned.
Some citizens still believe that police stations can issue permits to would-be organizers of cockfighting tournaments.
Daiji World reported last year that Mangaluru police instructed residents not to attempt to “seek permission for cockfights at police stations.”
Mangaluru officers added that they would take “appropriate legal action” against the organizers of illegal bouts.
However, similar police raids are not uncommon in Udupi. In recent years, police have broken up several tournaments. Officers say organizers typically use WhatsApp group chats to publicize their events.
A cockfighting crackdown is also underway in Malaysia. Police in the nation recently arrested three elderly men at a makeshift bird-fighting arena in the state of Sabah.
In May, Malaysian police urged the public to send them information about illegal cockfighting contests. Under Malay law, courts have the power to punish cockfighting organizers with jail terms of up to three years.
