Bhongir DCP K. Narayana Reddy said that five cockfight organisers, who fled the scene when police teams raided Chinnapalugu Thanda earlier this week, were arrested on Thursday.
The five accused include a constable of the Railway Protection Force, Mamillapally Sridhar, attached to the Secunderabad Railway Station, and four others Y. Madhusudan Reddy, Banothu Pandu, Bijili Rambabu and Marri Mahesh, were locals of Bhongir town.
On Monday, the special operation team and Bibinagar police had raided Chinnapalugu Thanda in its limits and arrested 19 persons, who were participants and placed bets on the birds. Apart from 40 birds, knives, about ₹ 1.5 lakh cash and vehicles were seized. Disclosing more details, the police said the organisers arranged a ‘tournament-like’ cockfighting event in the fields on the village outskirts. And people interested to witness the bloodsport were charged ₹ 500 each.
“All the 40 birds were brought from Vijayawada. Through local consultants they informed interested candidates for the event. They have been organising cockfights for some time now, and the motive was to make easy money,” the police said.
The five accused were booked under the State Gaming Act and The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, in addition to violations of COVID protocol.
