On January 15th, 2020 in Andhra Pradesh, India, an indian man was killed after a squabble with his rooster.

Fifty year old, Saripalli Chanavenkateshwaram Rao, was pierced in the neck by the claw of a blade-wielding rooster. The rooster was armed with a blade because Rao was on his way to a chicken deathmatch. The father of three was then rushed to the hospital, where he ultimately died via stroke. 

Rao was a regular at local chicken duels. He was planning to enter his own rooster in the match until it tried to break free, announced station house officer Kranti Kumar. 

According to the New York Post, India outlawed chicken fighting in 1960, but it continues to be an issue in numerous areas around the country. In 2014, the Supreme Court clarified the illegality of animal fighting under India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. In 2015, Gauri Maulekhi, trustee for India’s People for Animals foundation, used this event to intervene in a state court petition to lift the ban on animal fights. The ban on animal fighting is still in place. 

“The offenses have been made very clear and explained to the district and state authorities, but they choose to turn a blind eye towards it. It is not just for entertainment that these animals are made to fight, but it is (also) due to the heavy betting and gambling that goes on in the garb of these events,” Maulekhi said.

During a three-day Sankranti Festival in Krishna District a total of 540 cases were filed against organizers, and it was reported that 1,494 people were taken into custody for participating in the illegal event.