Rooster killed owner during illegal cockfight in India

Rooster with razor attached to his leg killed man in illegal cockfight in southern IndiaPolice said, drawing attention to a practice that continues in some Indian states despite being banned for decades.

Last week the rooster, with a 7.5 cm knife tied on his paw, flapped wings in panic and cut off its owner’s groinThangulla Satish, 45, said Police Inspector B. Jeevan on Sunday.

The incident happened in the village Lothunur, Telangana State.

According to Jeevan, Satish was injured while preparing the rooster for the fight. “Satish was hit in the groin by the rooster’s knife and started to bleed heavily”the officer said, adding that the man died on the way to the hospital.

The man was among 16 people organizing the cockfight when the monster crash happened, Jeevan said. The rooster was briefly detained at the local police station before being sent to a poultry farm.

“We are looking for the other 15 people involved in the organization of the illegal struggle”, Said Jeevan. They could face murder charges, illegal gambling, and organize a cockfight.

To prove his guilt, organizers can spend up to two years in prison.

Although it was nationally banned in 1960, cockfighting is common in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, southern Indian states, particularly around the Hindu festival of Sankranti.

Specially bred roosters have 3 inch (7.5 cm) knives or blades attached to their legs. Horrible fights often take place under the observation of powerful local politicians and involves a lot of play money. Thousands of roosters are killed each year in battles which, despite the efforts of animal rights groups, draw hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

(With information from the AP and AFP)

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