While bird fights are banned in Telangana, it is an open secret that these are still strictly held in many places across the state, with bets on them running into millions.

Today we bring to you a story in which the hero and villain are both the same person, a “rooster”. In this story we have a rooster, a whole lot of bull, and people running like headless chicken. A saga of a 1.5 feet tall fiery roster, hailing from Golapali in Jagtial district of Telangana is the story of the town.

The bird who is “estimated to be two or three years old”,  is accused of killing its owner accidently by stabbing him in his groin. Bird fights are illegal in Telangana, and this rooster is now not only left without an owner and occupation but is also in police custody and will be facing a possible court hearing.

The incident took place on February 22 during a bird fight organized on a rash near a temple in Golapalli. For T Sathaiah, a 45-year-old small-time poultry owner well known in the field for roster training for such fights, it was a normal day at work.  He arrived with the chicken, ready to bleed, with a knife of about 3 inches tied to its feet. However, as he was putting it in the battlefield to take other birds down, the bird struggled to free itself, and in the process, stabbed Satyaiah in the groin.

K Jeevan, sub-inspector of Golapally police station says that Sathaiah started bleeding.  Because of the sharp knife, the injury was a serious one and was bleeding a lot.  He was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. 

Officer Jeevan considers this to be an open and closed case in which the knife and cock were seized, and his photographs were taken as an extra precaution.  He said that they kept the bird in the police station for a day and so, but later they shifted it to a nearby poultry farm, where it can be taken care of.  Pictures of the chicken will be submitted to the court.  If the court orders, the chicken will be brought and produced in front of the court.

The 38-year-old Vasantha, wife of Sathaiah, who makes beedis to earn a living, has told police that her husband would often participate in such fights. She has two daughters, one is 16 year old, who has speech impairment and the other daughter , who is 14 year old, is in school. They live in a one-room tin shed.  Sathaiah would earn  between 1,500 and 2,000 in each bird fight. 

The police said that the chicken that left him injured was worth 10,000 rupees.  Won five fights on February 22 from 9.30 am.  Eyewitnesses have told the police that high on this, Sathaiah had a lot to drink, which happened around 4.30 pm.

An official said that the hen farm owner who has been handed over the accused hen has been instructed to look after it.  “These birds are fragile and require special care.  We will examine the bird once in a while, ”said Rameshwar Rao, Circle Inspector (Dharmapuri), that birds are raised on a special diet including cashew nuts and semi-cooked prawns and may die if not properly laid.