A fighting rooster killed its owner before the fight

A rooster with a razor attached to its leg killed a man last week in an illegal brawl in southern India, Indian police have said.

The event refocused attention on the practice, which continues in some Indian states despite having been banned for decades.

The rooster, which had a 3-inch knife strapped to its leg, flapped its wings in panic and cut the groin of its owner, Thangulla Satish (45), Police Inspector B. Jeevan reported.

The incident took place in the village of Lothunur, Telangana state.

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

Police have opened an investigation and are now looking for more than a dozen people involved in organizing the fight, the officer added. If proven guilty, the organizers can spend up to two years in prison.

Cockfights are common in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, states in southern India, although they were banned nationally in 1960.

Animal rights activists demand control of the illegal practice, which is organized as part of local Hindu festivals often attended by hundreds, if not thousands of people.

Cockfights are often conducted under the watchful eye of powerful local politicians and involve a lot of play money.