Cockfights attract huge crowds in Godavari dists

Eluru/Rajamahendravaram: Setting aside the court directions, the cockfights were organised on a massive scale across Godavari districts. The police in many places remain as mute spectators to the blood sport. According to sources, the three-day blood sport conducted under floodlight in many areas.

Denduluru MLA and government whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar inaugurated the cockfights in Koppaka. The cockfight betting by punters started ranging from Rs 10,000 to lakhs which called VIP arena. In another arena, small punters below Rs 10,000 participated. Besides cockfights, the organisers also organised gambling of dice game, playcards and liquor for entertainers.  

Around 20,000 people turned up to witness the cockfights in Koppaka. It is learnt the gunmen allotted to Denduluru MLA did not allow anyone to take a picture or videograph the cockfights.

Police did not enter this area and however, they claimed that no cockfight took place in Koppaka. Meanwhile, the Sisali in Kalla mandal witnessed 10,000 people on Tuesday the last day of blood sports.

Undi MLA VV Sivarama Raju inaugurated this arena by playing the cockfight without knives with TTD former member Gokaraju Rangaraju on the first day.

The cockfight is unabated in Jangareddigudem, Chintalapudi, Lingapalem, Dharmajigudem, Pedavegi, Denduluru, Pedapadu, Jalipudi, Komadavole, Madepalli, Kolleru belt villages of Gudivakalanka, Paidichintapadu, Gundugolanu, Kommara, Gunnampalli in Bhimadole and Dwaraka Tirumala.

MP JC Diwakara Reddy witnessed the cockfight at Ai  Bhimavaram village in Akiveedu mandal. In Koppaka, cine comedy hero Sampoornesh Babu witnessed the cockfight. 

Cockfights were organised on a massive scale across East Godavari including the home turf of Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa. In many areas, MLAs and MLCs and other elected representatives kicked off cockfights.

Though they were commenced without knives, later, in the evening of Bhogi, the punters tied knives to cocks. The police and revenue departments, who warned the organisers, later became mute spectators because of the pressure mounted from leaders of parties. In Muramalla, special galleries were provided for VIPS. In some areas, the cockfight organisers conducted auctions for gundata, playcards and liquor shops.

Cockfights were also conducted in Mumidivaram, Godi, Allavaram, Sakhinetipalli, Razole, Malikipuram, Peddapuram, Samalkot, Tuni, Vetlapalem, Tondangi, Jagagmpeta, Kattipudi and Ramachandrapuram. According to sources, the betting amount across the district may have crossed Rs 100 crore to Rs 150 crore with the active participation of many NRIs this year.

A cockfight organiser MS Raju of Muramalla said this year there is an increase in the number of punters and many came from Telangana state and other states.