‘Organising cock fights violates animal cruelty law; Cultural status cannot be conferred in Tamil Nadu’: Madras HC dismisses plea seeking permission for event

Madras High Court: In a writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India challenging the order of the District Collector as illegal, arbitrary, and violative of the principles of natural justice, and seeking a consequential direction to permit the conduct of a cock fight event (without knives) on 26-10- 2025 at Kaaraikeni, Peraiyur Taluk, Madurai District, a Single Judge Bench of G.R. Swaminathan, J.,dismissed the petition, holding that organizing or inciting animals or birds to fight for entertainment purposes is expressly prohibited under Section 11(1)(m)(ii) and (n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The petitioner relied on earlier Single Judge decisions in G. Diwahar v. District Collector, Theni District¹, and Rajesh Kumar v. District Collector, Madurai District², which had permitted similar events.

However, the Bench held that those decisions were contrary to the binding precedent laid down by the Division Bench in S. Kannan v. Commissioner of Police, Madurai City³, which had categorically held that cock fights fall within the prohibition contained in Section 11(1)(m)(ii) and (n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The Court observed that the term “animal” under Section 2(a) of the Act includes birds and that organizing or inciting animals to fight for entertainment purposes amounts to cruelty punishable under law.

The Court also referred to the circular memorandum dated 28-08-2025 issued by the Director General of Police, reiterating that cock fights should not be permitted.

Although the petitioner cited the decision in M. Munusamy v. Superintendent of Police⁴, wherein a Division Bench had permitted a cock fight, the Court held that the said order did not lay down any binding ratio and therefore could not override the 2014 Division Bench ruling.

The Bench further noted a 2018 news report on a Supreme Court order allegedly allowing cock fights in the Telangana region without knives, but clarified that such relaxation was granted in exercise of powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, which the High Court could not invoke. The Court observed that cultural or traditional justifications could not be invoked to exempt cock fights in Tamil Nadu, as no law similar to the Tamil Nadu Amendment permitting Jallikattu (2017) existed in the State.

Holding that the petitioner had no legal right to seek a mandamus for conducting an event prohibited by statute, the Court dismissed the writ petition.

[M. Muventhan v. District Collector, W.P(MD)No.27950 of 2025, decided on 09-10-2025]

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Advocates who appeared in this case:

For Petitioner: Mr.S.Shanmugam

For Respondents: Mr.M.Gangatharan, Government Advocate, Mr.A.Albert James, Government Advocate (Crl. Side)

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