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Read Full BioPolice in India have arrested 75 individuals for organizing and participating in illegal gambling using sheep at a farmhouse.
Aanchal Dalal, superintendent of Pali police, stated, “Around 4 rams were made to compete and hit each other until one of them collapsed. The audience would bet on the strongest ram.”
According to the police, they received a tip-off about a gambling racket at the Tiger Goat Farmhouse in Gondav village. As they raided the farmhouse, the police recovered assets worth ₹1.37 crore (around $150,000), including cash, vehicles, and other gambling paraphernalia.
The Hindustan Times reports that videos of the sheep fights are circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms to attract more gamblers.
The police said that the operation violated India’s gambling laws, as well as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Dalal added, “Once a ram has participated, it holds no further value.”
Two Men Escape
During the raid, the police found 77 individuals suspected of involvement. They managed to arrest 75, but two men escaped.
The police stated that the duo jumped over a compound wall and fled. They have been identified as Imran Qureshi from Kurla and Atik Shaikh from Pune.
A joint team of officers from the Pali police and the local crime investigation unit of Raigad, Alibaug, conducted the police operation.
Investigations have revealed that the rams were foreign-bred to be used for illegal gambling, with indications they may have been bred in Iran.
Such illegal betting rackets have spread recently in Maharashtra and other states. The police said that illegal dealers had set up shop all the way from Delhi to Kashmir, and would often conduct their business along the border areas.
In addition to sheep fighting, there have also been police crackdowns on cockfighting rings in India. In June, police shut down a cockfighting ring in the state of Karnataka.
Police Show No Mercy Dealing With Illegal Gamblers
The police are unlikely to show leniency if they catch up with the two escapees. Recently, there have been reports of police brutality following gambling raids.
One man in the state of Andhra Pradesh was allegedly beaten to death by police after being arrested at a gambling den. The man’s family staged a protest outside the police station, calling for justice.
In 2016, a 25-year-old also died during a police raid on a gambling den in the Dabholi area, Surat. Locals allege he was beaten to death by an officer.
Last year, another man died while in custody after being arrested at a gambling raid in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The man’s family similarly alleged that his death was the result of police brutality.
