DGP’s office tells court Tamil Nadu circular was not a blanket rooster-fight ban

The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police’s office has told the Madras High Court that a 2025 circular did not impose a blanket ban on rooster fights. According to the supplied material from The Hindu, the office clarified that the circular’s purpose was to prevent gambling and cruelty to the birds. The explanation was given in court, although the available information does not identify the case or the parties involved.

The forms of cruelty specifically mentioned were tying knives or blades around the birds’ necks and stitching their eyes. The statement therefore distinguishes between preventing harmful or unlawful practices and imposing a general prohibition on the activity. The supplied material does not provide the text of the circular, the arguments made by petitioners or the court’s response.

It also does not state whether the Madras High Court issued any order after hearing the clarification. The DGP’s office position, as reported, is that enforcement should target gambling and the specified acts of cruelty rather than operate as a blanket ban on rooster fights.