Former Maoist-controlled forest area turns into cockfight gambling den

NewsIndia NewsFormer Maoist-controlled forest area turns into cockfight gambling den Former Maoist-controlled forest area turns into cockfight gambling den RAIPUR: Tents, music, food and cars. Then came the roosters and the bets running into lakhs.

Once a Maoist-controlled stretch of forest in Bastar, the remote terrain had acquired a different notoriety - an interstate cockfight gambling carnival attracting punters from across Chhattisgarh and neighbouring Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.Police busted the den near Raiguda village under Bhadrakali police station limits deep inside Bijapur district on Nov 3, catching 156 people and seizing more than Rs 20 lakh, 47 four-wheelers and 12 mobile phones.Acting on intelligence inputs about large-scale betting being organised under the cover of traditional cockfights, police cordoned off the forest site before moving in.

The sudden arrival triggered panic, with several participants attempting to flee. Join conversation InsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig Development However, 156 people were rounded up.The crackdown, described as one of the biggest gambling busts in Bastar, came before Diwali, when police step up surveillance against illegal betting.

These forests have traded the terror of gunfights for the frenzy of cockfights. The Maoists are gone, but a new battleground has taken their place, with lakhs riding on roosters battling to the death. Get the latest India News and Live updates.

Download the TOI app. Rashmi is a Special Correspondent with The Times of India in Chhattisgarh. She covers Politics, Left Wing Extremism, Crime and Human Rights among other areas of news value. ‘Jantar Mantar At Kochi’: CJP Announces Anti-SIR Protest On Nov 7; Abhijeet Dipke To Attend Agniveers' Second Tour Of Duty: IAF Details Salary And Savings Package Under Agnipath Supreme Court Ends Detention-Arrest Distinction, Says 24-Hour Clock Starts When Liberty Is Curtailed 'Johnny Johnny..': Sambit Patra Uses Nursery Rhymes to Mock INDIA Bloc, dares Rahul to debate Mamata 'Let's Face Each Other Head-On': Amit Shah Challenges Rahul Gandhi To Debate SIR In Parliament Rahul's Nov 1 Delhi Rally Under Fire, CAIT Announces Nationwide 'Dhikkar Diwas' Over Traders' Losses ‘BJP Misled Aga Ruhullah, Offered Him Lollipop’: NC Attacks Former Srinagar MP Over Resignation 'Mann Smelled Of Alcohol By 11 am': Rahul Gandhi Targets Punjab CM Over Drug Menace 'Abdul Won In America, Now UP Also...': Owaisi's 'Muslim' Message After El-Sayed's Michigan Win Modi Govt Revises Agnipath Scheme, Offers 2-Year Service Extension To 75% Of Agniveers 10 baby girl names inspired by the colours and charm of butterflies