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This Sankranti, Rs 1,000 cr riding on roosters

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Cockfight in court, judge orders auction of roosters

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday kept in place the ban on ‘ cock-fighting ’, a popular sport in rural coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, while requesting the high court to decide afresh the legality of the game.A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu asked the HC to examine the issue in light of the apex court’s earlier judgment banning ‘jallikattu’, or bull-taming sport, in Tamil Nadu. The SC had held that the manner in which scared bulls were made to run, sometimes after administration of intoxicants, it amounted to cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.The SC on Monday set aside the HC order banning cock-fighting as the basis for the judgment was not forthcoming.Till the time the HC decides the legality of cock-fighting, the SC kept in place an interim ban on it while setting aside the HC judgment banning it. “We set aside the order of the HC and refer the issue back to the HC to decide the issue afresh in light of apex court earlier order,” it said while directing maintenance of status quo.A group of people had approached the apex court against the HC order saying that it was a traditional game which should be permitted.