No cockfights in Andhra Pradesh, rules Hyderabad High Court

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday made it clear that cockfights with betting will not be allowed during the Sankranti festival season in January, 2016 anywhere in Andhra Pradesh.

 

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice S.V. Bhatt was hearing an interim application seeking to implead the Animal Welfare Board of India as one of the respondent to a Public Interest Litigation pending before the court moved by Narahari Jagadish Kumar, a native of West Godavari.

 

Counsel for the petitioner told the court that when his client moved the PIL in 2014 seeking a direction on immediate steps to stop cockfights with betting during Sankranti festival season in West Godavari district, the court disposed off the matter following the statement of the government counsel.

 

Counsel for the petitioner said that when someone had moved the Supreme Court seeking a ban on cockfights, the Apex Court returned the matter to the High Court while maintaining status quo on the prohibition on cockfighting in AP.

 

Despite the orders, the police failed to prevent cockfights with betting in AP, counsel said. 

 

Questioning how cockfights were allowed by the police when they were prohibited, the bench ordered counsel for AP to place the earlier court order in this regard by Thursday.