Shankarnarayana, August 23, 2025 – On August 22, 2025, at 5:00 PM, Shankarnarayana police conducted a raid in Mabbli, Belanje village, Hebri taluk, arresting eight individuals engaged in illegal cockfighting and gambling. The accused, identified as Rohit Shetty, Charan Raj, Dinesh Rao, Arjun, Manjunath, Prashanth, Dayanand Poojari, and Santosh Shetty, were caught tying knives to roosters’ legs and betting money on the fights. The operation, led by PSI Shambhulingayya M. based on credible intelligence, was conducted in the presence of panch witnesses.

The police seized 30 roosters (valued at ₹1,000 each, totaling ₹30,000), 10 cockfighting knives, 26 sacks for holding roosters, and ₹10,630 in cash used for betting. Additionally, six mobile phones (three Vivo and three Redmi, valued at ₹60,000) were confiscated from the accused. Vehicles abandoned at the scene by fleeing participants included 28 motorcycles, four cars, one Omni van, one EcoSport, one Bolero Jeep, and one auto-rickshaw, collectively valued at approximately ₹43,45,630. A list of 44 additional vehicles linked to fleeing individuals was recorded for further investigation.

A case was registered at Shankarnarayana Police Station under Crime No. 78/2025, invoking Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, for causing unnecessary pain to animals (punishable by up to three months imprisonment or a ₹100 fine for first offenses), and Sections 87 and 93 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, for gambling in a public place (punishable by up to one month imprisonment or a ₹300 fine). The police are investigating to identify and apprehend additional suspects who fled the scene.