Pune Police Arrest Six for Illegal Cockfighting and Gambling in Wanawadi

Wanawadi Police in Pune arrested six people for organising illegal cockfights and gambling. Six roosters, motorcycles and ₹5.11 lakh worth of property were seized during the raid.

Pune, October 20, 2025 — The Wanawadi Police in Pune have arrested six men for organising illegal cockfights and gambling activities in the area. The action came after police received confidential information about a group conducting rooster fights near a vacant plot behind Impress Garden, where betting was taking place. The police immediately formed a special team and raided the location, catching the accused red-handed. The arrested individuals have been identified as Amol Sadashiv Khurd (47) of Ravivar Peth, Mangesh Appa Chavhan (55) of Bhavani Peth, Nikhil Manish Tribhuvan (20) of Ghorpadi, Ameer Ayub Khan (28) of Ghorpadi village, Sachin Sadashiv Kamble (42) of Bhavani Peth, and Pranesh Ganesh Param (27) of Camp area.

During the raid, the police seized six colourful fighter roosters, six sacks used for transporting them, three motorcycles, five mobile phones and cash worth ₹2,580. The total value of the seized property is estimated to be around ₹5,11,880. The accused were immediately taken into custody and booked for illegal gambling and animal cruelty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The cockfights were being held for betting purposes, where the organisers and participants placed large sums of money on the outcome of the fights.

Senior officers said the operation was carried out efficiently after verifying the information and tracking the suspects’ movements. The entire action was conducted under the guidance of Assistant Police Commissioner Dhanyakumar Godse, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr. Rajkumar Shinde, and Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil. The raid was led by Senior Police Inspector Bhau Saheb Patil and Inspector Vijaykumar Doke, along with Assistant Sub-Inspector Umakant Mahadik and constables Daya Shegar, Mahesh Gadhave, Amol Pilane, Gopal Madane, Balaji Waghmare, Vishnu Sutar, Amol Gaikwad, Vitthal Chormale, Harshad Sayyad and Sujata Phulsundar.

Police officials said this operation highlights the department’s strict action against cruelty towards animals and gambling-related offences. Cockfighting, though banned, continues to take place secretly in parts of the state, often linked to illegal betting. The Pune Police have warned that strict measures will be taken against anyone found involved in such activities. Authorities also appealed to citizens to remain alert and report any information regarding gambling or cockfighting rings in their locality.

Officials added that the animals rescued from the scene were sent for medical examination and will be handed over to animal welfare organisations for care. Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in funding or organising the event. This raid is part of Pune Police’s continued drive to curb illegal gambling and animal cruelty in the city.