Cockfight: HC calls for Andhra Pradesh chief secretary and DGP

HYDERABAD: Seeking to know from Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Dinesh Kumar and DGP M Malakondaiah whether they are feeling helpless in implementing court directives, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed both the top officers of the state to be present in the court on January 29 to explain why they failed to implement the court order in respect of cock fights, bettings etc during the recent Sankranti festival.
“ If you are helpless, then we will have to handle it”, said the bench of acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice M Ganga Rao while hearing a public interest plea filed by K Ramachandra Raju of West Godavari district who wanted the court to put stop betting and several vices that have crept into the villages in the name of culture and cockfights.
Mockery of order to curb cockfights, says high court
The petitioner made special reference to Vempa and Srirampuram villages of Bhimavaram mandal where he said things had degenerated to new lows last year due to obscene dances, new forms of gambling and prostitution finding its way into these areas during the Sankranti season. This was in addition to cockfights and the betting attached to them that are ruining the lives of the poor and middle class families, he said.
The bench, in its January 4, 2018 order, had directed both the chief secretary and the DGP not to allow any cockfights during this year’s Sankranti festival not just in the two Godavari districts but adjoining districts as well. It also sought reports and affidavits from the two officers on the action taken to implement the court order by January 22.
On Monday, when the court took up the case, P Venkat Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that though the authorities could successfully implement the court order in respect of the two villages, they did not do anything in respect of the rest of the villages, mandals and districts where the banned cockfights were held with impunity.
Reacting to this, the bench said that it has seen how the authorities have failed to implement the court order. “Orders of the court were mocked at. The whole world watched it on TVs. It has become a joke. We have seen how even public representatives were seen witnessing the cockfights.”
AP’s advocates representing home and revenue departments sought a week’s time to file the affidavits on behalf of the chief secretary and DGP. The bench reminded them that the two reports were supposed to be before them by now. Citing collectors’ conference and exceptional circumstances, the state counsel sought time.
The bench refused to accord them any time and reminded the state counsel that the two officers did not even file a written plea seeking extension of time for filing their reports. They cannot be given time just because they happened to be higher officials.
“If it is an ordinary citizen, we will say no. Because they are higher officers, should we now say yes?” the bench asked the state counsel, while rejecting the plea for time to file affidavits. The bench issued show cause notices to both chief secretary and the DGP asking them to explain in writing why action should not be initiated against them for failing to file their action taken reports (ATRs). The bench directed both the officials to be present in the court on Jan 29 along with their affidavits.