Cockfights were held under floodlights in specially set up arenas in numerous villages across the state as part of the Sankranti celebrations, despite a ban on the blood sport.

Thousands of punters from various nations and neighbouring states attended cockfights in the districts of West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, and Nellore, as well as in the Rajamahendravaram Urban areas, despite police warnings and efforts to wean them away from the illegal practice.

At Bhimavaram, Palakollu, Narsapuram, Kalla, Jangareddygudem, Kovvur, Gudivada, Kalidindi, Akiveedu, Challapalli, Dindi, Razole, Jaggannapeta, Kankipadu, Manikonda, Rajanagaram, and Gokavaram, a significant number of people flocked to the cockfight arenas. Traffic flow was seriously disrupted in some villages.

During the Sankranti festival, police stormed cockfights across Andhra Pradesh, seizing over 1,700 roosters, 1,600 knives, and roughly Rs 42 lakh in cash. Ignoring police directives, court orders, and the fear of Covid, residents of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Vizag, and Vizianagaram districts took part in the violent game, which entailed large-scale gambling worth over 1,000 crores in the previous four days.

Cockfights were held in over 1,000 baris (arenas) across the state, according to estimates, with over 500 arenas erected in two Godavari districts alone, which are famed for hosting traditional Sankranti events. Over 1,000 cockfighting cases were filed in 2021, with 4,072 persons detained, over 47 lakh in cash recovered, and 1,739 cocks seized, according to police.

The forbidden sport was alleged to have been indulged in by NRIs, software professionals, students, businessmen, realtors, and farmers. Women, too, liked the game in some places. At the ATM centres in these locations, there were long lines.

Cockfight organisers and gamblers believe the money confiscated by authorities was only the tip of the iceberg, as big betting operations and cockfights remained unnoticed in many areas. "Police were also silent observers while hundreds of cockfights were held and millions of rupees (in betting) were transacted in the last three days," they claimed.

Locals in Bhimavaram, a prominent cockfighting centre in the state, stated approximately Rs. 1,500 crore was wagered in betting over the last three days. Each battle had a betting pool of between 2 and 15 crores.

During the festival, a huge number of cockfights took place throughout the two Godavari districts. The majority of the hotels were booked by visitors from all around the state, as well as neighbouring states. Some hotels cost between 7,000 and 10,000 dollars per day per room.

Cockfights also brought in a lot of money for liquor stores, restaurants, and fast-food joints. Near cockfighting grounds, there were also improvised casinos for gambling and card games. The Omicron panic spread like wildfire among gamblers since a considerable number of persons were seen without adequate masks.

At the venues, rooster fights brought in crores of rupees, with punters betting big sums. Cockfights will also take place on 'Kanuma' day, according to the organisers.

By Yashaswini