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| Cockfights are banned but still common in rural areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha states - particularly around the Hindu festival of Sankranti. (File photo by= BORO AFP) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] A rooster fitted with a knife for an illegal cockfight in southern India killed its owner, sparking a manhunt for the organizers of the event, police said on Saturday (Feb 7).
AFP reported that the bird had a knife attached to its leg ready to take on an opponent when it inflicted serious injuries to the man's groin as it tried to escape, officers said. Specially bred roosters have 7.5cm knives or blades tethered to their legs and punters bet on who will win the gruesome fight. The victim died from loss of blood before reaching a hospital in the Karimnagar district of Telangana state earlier this week, local police officer B Jeevan told AFP.
The rooster was briefly held at the local police station before it’s sent to a poultry farm. The man was among 16 people organizing the cockfight in the village of Lothunur when the freak accident took place, Jeevan said. They could face charges of manslaughter, illegal betting, and hosting a cockfight. Cockfights are banned but still common in rural areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha states - particularly around the Hindu festival of Sankranti. Thousands of roosters die each year in battles that, despite the efforts of animal rights groups, attract large crowds.
