The Madras High Court has questioned the authority of the Director General of Police (DGP) to issue a circular banning cockfights across Tamil Nadu.
The DGP had issued the circular in September 2025 prohibiting cockfights in the State. Against this, Erode-based R. Arun Kumar approached the Madras High Court seeking permission to conduct cockfights during temple festivals in Erode and Namakkal districts.
In his petition, Arun Kumar said traditional competitions such as jallikattu, cockfights and bullock-cart races are commonly held during village festivals. He claimed that such events are conducted with adequate security arrangements and by following conditions imposed by the police. He also contended that there was no gambling or cruelty to animals involved.
The petitioner sought quashing of the DGP’s circular banning cockfights and a direction to permit the conduct of such events.
When the case came up before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan, the government submitted that the ban was based on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and various orders passed by the Madras High Court and its Madurai Bench. The government also sought two weeks’ time to file its response, stating that a public interest litigation concerning the issue was pending before a Bench headed by the Chief Justice.
The judge declined to grant the two-week adjournment and questioned what authority the DGP had to issue a circular imposing a ban on cockfights in Tamil Nadu. The police were directed to file their response, and the case was adjourned to September 7.
