The Madras High Court Bench here on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the State government to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 — as it was done early this year for exempting jallikattu from the purview of the legislation — to permit kida muttu (ram fight) as well as seval sandai (cock fight) too in the State.
Justices K.K. Sasidharan and G.R. Swaminathan rejected the petition on the ground that they did not find any merit in the petitioner’s plea. During arguments, Mr. Justice Sasidharan said that a writ of mandamus could not be issued either to the State or the legislature to amend a law and Mr. Justice Swaminathan told the petitioner’s counsel that cock fights were gruesome since the birds die in the course of the fights.
G. Chinnan, 36, of Nattarmangalam in Usilampatti taluk had filed the petition on the ground that such “sporting activities” and the breeds involved in them would go extinct if permission was not granted by the officials.
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The petitioner also stated that there was no uniformity among police officials in the State in granting permission for such events as they were being permitted in some districts and not allowed in others. He further said that such events had nothing to do with gambling.