Cockfighting: Madras High Court Issues Directions To Ensure Safety Of Birds During Pongal Celebrations At Tiruvallur Event

The Madras High Court recently issued a set of directions to be followed while conducting cockfights in connection with Pongal festival at an event in Valakkanampoodi Pudur village of Tiruvallur district.

Cockfighting is an age-old practice in which two or more specially bred birds, known as gamecocks, are placed in an enclosed pit to fight for the primary purposes of gambling or entertainment.

In a plea filed by a group of villagers for granting permission to conduct the cockfight as part of pongal celebrations and to celebrate the birth anniversary of former CM MG Ramachandran, Justice VM Velumani and Justice R Hemalatha issued the directions for regulating the fights.

The court has directed the event be supervised by the police and doctors from the nearby Government Veterinary Hospital.

"It is further made clear that during the course of conducting “Cock Fight”, there should not be any injury to be caused to the birds and the birds should not be intoxicated with any alcoholic substance and no knives should be tied around the legs of the birds, with the tip of the knives dipped in poisonous substances. The veterinary doctor shall ensure the same before the actual starting of the event," said the court.

The petitioner has to bear the expenses towards police protection as well as the expenses towards the Veterinary doctor, said the court.

The court also directed the petitioner to donate a sum of thirty thousand rupees to Prashanti Old Age Welfare Home, Chennai and to furnish proof of payment before the respondent authorities. It further directed the organisers to take precautionary measures to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.

"Songs praising communal leader or having communal overtones should not be played. The petitioner will ensure that no flex board or hoardings depicting particular community or leader is displayed," it said.

The court also stressed that no person will engage in gambling with respect to the events.

Further, only eligible birds have been permitted to take part in the event and if any objections are raised, the police authorities have been directed to look into the same and take a decision accordingly.

The court also prohibited any other persons except the owners of the participating birds to enter the area and asked for a separate space to be given to the spectators.

The court also directed the petitioners to give an undertaking to the effect that all the conditions will be scrupulously followed. In the event that any of the conditions are violated, the police has been given liberty to proceed in accordance with law.

Case Title: M.Munusamy @ Chinnapaiyan v. The Superintendent of Police