Cockfight Organisers Exert Pressure to Get Permission For Gambling Games

Kakinada: Cockfight organisers are exerting pressure on MLAs and ruling party leaders to get unofficial permission from police for playing certain gambling games, in particular Gundata' and Wheel Play and for playing cards.

The organisers are confident of getting the permission for traditional “cockfight''.

Every year, gambling games are integral to this event. Big income is earned from Gundata and other gambling games. Last year, the police did not allow these. They grabbed the Gundata tables and booked cases.

According to sources, a group of people belonging to Panasapadu village in Samalkot mandal approached a cock-fight organiser at Thimmapuram village and discussed their yearly amount. But he made it clear that the police are not allowing Gundata games. He suggested they organise cock-fights in their respective villages.

According to some of the organisers, they paid amounts for three days in the Sankranti festival period to organise cock-fights. But, last year, officials conducted raids on the cock-fight dens and disrupted it. Now, the organisers said that they would pay the amounts on a day-to-day basis.

In some villages, the  organisers said officials demanded a payment to them of Rs.80,000 per cockfight ground.

The organisers want to approach ruling party leaders and advise them to agree for a payment of Rs.10,000 to the officials and use of the remaining amount for village development. A clarity on the cock-fight scenario would be coming in the next three days, sources said.