Police turn blind eye to illegal bullfight in Palghar

An illegal centuryold bullfighting event was organised on Tuesday at Magathane in Palghar districtrsquos Wada taluka where the cops turned a blind eye to the annual tradition Sources told midday that up to Rs 10000 was distributed among the owners of winning bulls which were reportedly made to lock their horns when hundreds cheered on The second and third cash prizes were Rs 7500 and Rs 5000 according to sourcesPatil his wife and son flanked by two bulls Gabbar right and Raj left PicsHanif PatelBull owners had come from the adjacent Nashik and Raigad districts with their animals while local farmers also participated said a source midday has multiple videos of the mega event In the arena the bullsrsquo owners could be seen wielding heavy wooden sticks to keep the agitated animals under control and to goad them into attacking each other fiercely the owners twisted their tails Such incidents amount to animal cruelty but the cops were nowhere seen in videos and photographslsquoNo bullfightingrsquoldquoThe event was organised by Jitesh Patil against whom multiple serious criminal cases have been registered at Wada and Vikramgarh police stationsrdquo said a local requesting anonymity However the organiser Jitesh alias Bunty Patil a local BJP worker and Palghar district president of Swabhibhan Sangathana denied the occurrence of bullfighting or distribution of a cash prizeScreengrabs of clips of the event which took place at Magathane in Palghar district on TuesdayldquoThis event was organised by a group of farmers from nearby villages I was not present at the annual event but nearly 20000 people came to witness it There was no bullfighting indeed the farmers had brought their bulls to showcase how robust they are to entertain people on the occasion of Diwalirdquo Patil told midday Sources said that the farmers had brought their bulls to the spot in trucks and the crowd cheered when they entered the venueldquoThis is a centuryold tradition and we have been carrying forward the legacy of our forefathers There were multiple restrictions during the pandemic but we still organised this eventrdquo bragged Patil adding ldquoWellmaintained and richly decorated bulls win the prize There was no cash prize We only give a shawl and trophy to the winnersrdquoldquoThe trophies were given by Jayesh Patil who is also a local BJP leaderrdquo he said Sources added that rich farmers of Palghar and adjacent districts anxiously wait for this event ldquoThis is why they maintain a nutritious diet for their bulls for a year This is a way they flex their muscles and show how passionately they care about their bulls winning the fightrdquo said a localJitesh Patil the organiser of the event centre with BJP leader Narayan Rane leftldquoBig landlords ask their farmhands to take extra care of their bulls in the evening after toiling away all day in the fields Most of these workers are nothing more than bonded labourers The government must end the menace of bullfightingrdquo said a sourcelsquoCreating terror since 2008rsquoResidents accused Jitesh Patil of raising terror in the area and claimed the cops did not take any action against him ldquoHe has been committing crimes since 2008 when he attacked a local journalist The first FIR was registered against him at Wada police station under Sections 147 148 149 323 326 504 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of Vinod Patil that yearrdquo said a sourceLocal BJP leader Jayesh Patil extreme right with the winnerldquoFour other FIRs have been registered at Wada and Vikramgarh police stations The subdivisional police officer SDPO of Jawhar taluka has also issued him a showcause notice to extern him in the area for creating terror in his localitiesrdquo said the source ldquoHad the cops been so prompt in acting against him this incident would not have taken place Since he is close to political heavyweights the Palghar police turn a blind eyerdquo lamented a local residentActivists weigh inMeanwhile Vijay Mohnani from Bombay Animal Rights said ldquoThe Supreme Court has already banned the practice but if agencies do not enforce the law such incidents are bound to take placerdquo ldquoIf the lawbreaker is a politician or supported by one the cops will naturally turn a blind eyerdquo he addedMeet Ashar cruelty case division legal advisor and manager PETA India said ldquoAnimal fights are a criminal depraved form of amusement that must be relegated to the history books Animals who are forced to fight suffer deep wounds broken bones and ultimately fatal injuriesrdquoldquoThe fights are also a risk to human spectators and society at large Animal fights violate Sections 3 and 111 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals PCA Act 1960 which prohibits inciting any animal to fight and organising animal fightsrdquo said AsharldquoThe Supreme Court has allowed only Jalllikattu PETA has challenged the judgment in its review petition already and there is no change in the law regarding animal fighting Any animal fighting is still prohibited and the 2014 order of the Supreme Court still holds goodrdquo underlined AsharCop SpeakSenior Inspector of Wada police station Suresh Kadam said ldquoNo one approached me with a complaint on this issue I will ask my team to get the photographs and videos of the alleged bullfight Based on the evidence we will take action against the organisersrdquo Sources in the police department told midday that the SDPO of Jawhar taluka had initiated the procedure to extern Patil from the area ldquoBut I need to check why he was not externedrdquo the source said Meanwhile the Superintendent of Palghar Police Balasaheb Patil said ldquoIt is true that there are multiple FIRs against Jitesh Patilrdquo