Since January 1, the Krishna district police in Andhra Pradesh has raided a number of cockfighting and poker arenas, filing 319 cases and arresting 1005 people. Along with 137 roosters and 123 rooster knives, the police has also confiscated Rs 7.34 lakh in cash.

SP Joshua warned that severe action will be taken against people who indulge in or organize rooster fights, rooster betting, or other gambling activities during festivals.

Keeping in mind the Sankranti festival the district police has put rigorous measures in place to stop such actions. Several specialized surveillance has been set up to find the locations of these illegal activities, according to The Times of India.

Raids are being carried out in accordance with the SP’s directives upon receiving information about individuals participating in rooster fights, betting, or other forms of gambling within the jurisdiction of each police station.

Several warnings and notices were delivered earlier to the organizers, bar managers, rooster owners, and knife producers regarding cockfights during the meeting with revenue officials.

A total of 173 people were arrested in 67 cases for gambling-related offences on Saturday, along with the seizure of Rs 69,845 in cash. A total of 85 roosters and 83 rooster knives were also confiscated during raids on rooster combat arenas. In another 76 cases, a total of 192 people were arrested with Rs 75,455 seized in cash.

Around 111 persons were arrested in 36 cases on Sunday, and Rs 1,03,700 in cash was recovered. Another 54 people were arrested in 29 cases, with around Rs 24,070 in cash seized from them.

Some bar managers were identified and given notices in the presence of revenue officials according to the SP. It is customary to celebrate Sankranti and Pongal with family at home, and the SP warned that engaging in criminal activity could result in jail time.

While the police has made several announcements about their efforts to stop illegal gambling and cockfights, the locals claim that all police notifications are merely verbal and that in reality, the police are responsible for providing security at the venues where cockfights are held.