Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday issued notice to the State government on a petition seeking to bring in an amendment in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 by enabling the provisions of law for granting permission for the conduct of ram and cock fights. Petitioner G.Chinnan from N Ayyampatti village near Madurai filed the petition before a division bench comprising Justices A.Selvam and N. Authinatham stating that there was no uniformity followed in the State in granting permission for the conduct of ram and cock fights.

While the Madurai rural police denied permission to conduct the event as part of a village temple festival stating it was against the prevention of cruelty to animals act as well as likely to trigger law and order problem in February this year, counterparts in neigbhouring Virudhunagar and Dindigul districts had granted permission. The petitioner pointed out that ram and cock fights were traditional Tamil sports like jallikattu and they don't cause harm to the animals. There was no harassment of animals or gambling involved in the sports, he said.

The Tamil Nadu government enacted legislation in the state assembly on January 31, called Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 through which an amendment was brought in the provision of section 11 and section 28 (A) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 for the conduct traditional sport jallikattu. The petitioner also said that he had made a representation on March 8 to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to bring similar amendments in the act to enable the conduct of ram and cock fights and preserve its tradition.

But so far he had not received any response from the government and hence approached the court for remedy. The court directed the chief secretary of the state government to file his counter.