Fighter cocks refuse to eat lock-up food

Visakhapatnam: Atchyutapuram police in the district have a strange problem on their hands - feeding roosters which they had seized in raids on cock fights during Sankranthi. The police express helplessness in feeding the cocks as they are no ordinary roosters. They have been fed with cashew, almonds and seafood mixture by their owners before they were brought for cock fighting.

Having fed the roosters with the food they are used to for the last 10 days, they find it difficult to continue the rich menu in future. Tey are now offering them cooked rice but the roosters are not showing any interest.

The owners of the cocks have left them to their mercy and disappeared after obtaining bail. Since cocks are not covered under IPC, there is no way they get their freedom. As they are part of the property that had been confiscated, there is no provision for feeding the "property", in this case the roosters. They are inside the lock up as the police find that there is no better way to keep guard of them. They are seen moving around in the lock up rooms, impatiently waiting for the food that they were used to.

The police in two different raids on cock fights arrested owners of the cocks and seized the cocks along with other property used for conducting the blood sport. However, the owners were released on bail and the case filed in Anakapalle court. The magistrate ordered the police to produce all the cocks along with owners when it hears the case next month.

As safety and wellbeing of cocks is the responsibility of the police, they managed to provide their food comprising cashews and almonds, apart from prawn dust during the first week. “The problem is we cannot afford their diet. No NGO is coming forward. Even the Animal Husbandry department is not showing any interest in the cocks. It would be better if the court issues orders for auction of the cocks and remitting the proceeds to the court,” DSP Anakapalle K Venkata Ramana said.