Sat 27 February 2021:
A rooster that had been fitted with a knife for an illegal cockfight has killed its owner in southern India.
The bird had a knife attached to its leg ready to take on an opponent when it inflicted serious injuries to the man’s groin as it tried to escape, officers said.
The victim died from loss of blood before he could reach a hospital in the Karimnagar district of Telangana earlier this week, local police officer B Jeevan told AFP.
Police said the animal was being readied to take part in a fight when it tried to escape. Its owner attempted to catch it but was struck by the 7cm-long (three inch) knife on the animal’s leg during the struggle.
The man was among 16 people organising the cockfight in Lothunur when the freak accident took place, Jeevan said.
The rooster was briefly held at the local police station before it was sent to a poultry farm.
“We are searching for the other 15 people involved in organising the illegal fight,” Jeevan said.
They could face charges of manslaughter, illegal betting and hosting a cockfight.
Cockfights are banned but still common in rural areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha– particularly around the festival of Sankranti.
Local police officer B Jeevan said the animal would be taken to court as evidence at a later date, according to The New Indian Express.
Cockfighting was made illegal in India in 1960 but fights are still relatively common in rural areas such as Telangana with many falling around the Hindu festival of Sankranti.
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