Like every year, cockfights conducted on the sidelines of Sankranti festivities in East and West Godavari districts have witnessed huge cash transactions this year too.
Though there is no scope to get the exact details of the stakes and the quantum of cash that changed hands in these three days, organisers and habitual punters from the two districts have come out with their assessments on the quantum of betting.
According to the information provided by them, arenas in and around Bhimavaram and West Godavari district reportedly witnessed cash transactions to the tune of about ₹500 crore, which was followed by Amalapuram in the Konaseema region with about ₹300 crore. The worth of stakes at Denduluru in West Godavari district was estimated to be around ₹200 crore, whereas the same from Gundugolanu was around ₹100 crore.
Organisers in and around Rajamahendravaram witnessed ₹100 crore cash changing hands, while their counterparts from Kakinada, Peddapuram and Tuni reportedly saw transactions worth ₹50 crore each.
People from the neighbouring States, who included top business and film personalities, too reportedly participated in the high-stake blood sport.
The venues were reportedly divided into three categories. At the high-end venues, which were few in number, the stakes ran into lakhs of rupees. At the middle-level arenas, which formed 60% of the total venues, the stakes were between ₹10,000 and ₹1 lakh. The remaining venues were thronged mainly by labourers and petty traders, where the stakes were anything between ₹1,000 and ₹10,000.
Live coverage?
The punters had chosen the venues that suited their budget. It was learnt that live coverage had also been arranged through social media platforms for sessions at a few venues for the benefit of outstation punters.
Internal bickering, which allegedly led to assaults, was reported at a few places in both the districts in the last three days. However, no cases had been registered.
The Rajamahendravaram Urban Police, headed by SP Shemushi Bajpai, conducted raids on six places where cockfights were allegedly going on, and seized ₹44,430 cash and 20 fowls, besides arresting 57 persons.
This was in addition to the registration of bind-over cases against 107 others who had a track record of conducting cockfights.
