: Amid incidents of atrocities against dogs being reported from different parts of the country, animal activists in the Millennium City have expressed concern over the dogfighting racket in Gurgaon and neighbouring areas.
Dogfighting is organised in the early hours in open fields in villages, or inside farmhouses and abandoned buildings.
The gangs involved in the business put bets worth several lakhs of rupees.
“It is a very cruel sport. Dogs are kept inside cramped enclosures without food and water for days together to make them more ferocious. The fight that lasts for 30-40 minutes usually ends with the brutal death of one of the two dogs. Even if they do not die at the spot, they are so badly injured that they later succumb to injuries,” says Amit Chaudhery, president, People for Animals (Gurgaon).
Areas prevalent
According to Mr. Chaudhery, the gangs involved in the business are active in different parts of Haryana, but they are more prevalent in Gurgaon and Jhajjar districts. In Gurgaon, one such gang was busted in Kanhai village near Sector 44 a year ago. Another major gang was busted in Wazirabad village over five years ago.
“Dogfighting is also organised in farmhouses in the outskirts of North and South Delhi. It is also prevalent in parts of Punjab such as Patiala, and the outskirts of Chandigarh.
Some gangs are also active in parts of Rajasthan. Most of those involved are village youths.
Sometimes, the well-educated and the rich are also into the business,” says Mr. Chaudhery.
Too many go scot-free
He regrets that the perpetrators manage to escape the law as there are a few animal activists fighting to end this practice.
“The lack of manpower is one of the major reasons as to why most of these cases go undetected. Activists also lack support from the police, who lack sensitisation towards crime against animals and are sometimes hand-in-glove with the gangs,” said Mr. Chaudhery.
Animal activists met Jhajjar police officers a week ago seeking action against groups involved in the act.
Last year, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Navdeep Virk had issued a circular to Station House Officers directing them to take cases of cruelty towards animals seriously.
“We have not received any fresh complaints of dogfighting in the district in recent times. Any case of cruelty against animals will be dealt with strictly,” said Jhajjar SP Jashandeep Singh.
