02 May,2011 06:48 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
A motley crew of 26 drunken revellers was busted while enjoying cock-fights and placing bets on them
After an animated chase that went on for nearly two hours, police officials finally busted a cock-fight that had been organised in an open field in Borivli yesterday afternoon. Of the gamblers, some were owners of beer bars, while others were waiters of the same. The revellers, hailing from the western suburbs, were caught red-handed drinking on a dry day (May 1), enjoying illegal cock-fights, and moreover placing bets, ranging from Rs 50, 000 to Rs 1 lakh. Police officials claimed that this was the first case they had handled, which involved a party gambling on cock-fights. Initial investigations revealed that Rakesh Shetty, a bar owner, was the main organiser of the event. He has been arrested.
Game over:u00a0Police bust a cock-fight gambling party, which was organised
in Borivli, yesterday. The revellers were caught red-handed drinking on
dry day, May 1
According to police reports, the rioters started running helter skelter for cover, as soon as they got a whiff of a police raid. This resulted in quite a dramatic wild-goose chase for the police. Luckily for the police, most of them were rather disoriented, being heavily drunk, and were nabbed in a couple of hours. "We received a tip off that a cock-fight was underway in a nearby jungle, and the revellers were having quite a riotous time," said Police Inspector Rakesh Sharma.
The chase to apprehend these revellers required a police team comprising 30 officers, including members of a special Mumbai police squad. This squad received orders from Commissioner Arup Patnaik, and included sleuths from the Social Service Branch (SSB). After the chase, the team arrested 26 revellers and recovered 28 cocks. A sum of Rs four lakh was recovered from the spot.
Police officials try to catch a cock. Pics/Nayan Sahani
The police have booked the arrested gamblers for violation of the Gambling Act, and sections of the Wildlife Act, which prohibits cruelty to animals and birds. Of the 28 cocks, six lay dead and seven others had sustained injuries. The gamblers had tied small knives around their limbs, possibly to make the fight a more exhilarating watch. "We have sent the injured cocks for medical treatment," said a police official.
Betting and booze
The drama reached a crescendo at around 2 pm, when the raiding team entered the site of the drunken shindig, behind the Eskay resort adjacent to New Link Road in Borivli (West). They spotted a group of people unhesitatingly consuming alcohol and placing bets on the cock-fights that they were witnessing. Trained fighter-cocks had been brought to the spot. The organisers had also set up food stalls nearby.
"Most of the revellers were thoroughly inebriated. The pleasure they were deriving from the cruel event was made evident by their loud whistles and cheers. They were constantly placing bets on the cocks. We observed that a knife was tied around the leg of each cock," said Anand Bhoir, Police Sub Inspector. He added that the cocks had been trained to utilize the sharp edge of the knife to inflict injuries on their opponents. "The cock that managed to kill its opponent using the knife was considered a winner. The player who had placed a wager on the winning cock earned double the bet amount," added Bhoir.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the event organisers imposed an entry fee upon all those who were desirous to join the bacchanal. The entry fee was Rs 200 for those who only wanted to place bets, and Rs 800 for those who wanted to partake of the booze riot.
