Four persons were arrested after three spectators were injured while watching buffalo fighting in Rangunitanr Village, under Joypur police station limits of Purulia district last night.
All these four arrested persons were organisers of the game and are residents of Rangunitan village. They are Nirmal Mahato, Shatrughan Paramanik, Sanatan Mahato and Vivekananda Mahato.
After the game was over, the owner of the winning buffalo was running with the animal when it ran towards the spectators and injured three persons.
While two of them were released from the primary health centre after receiving first-aid, the injury of Gokul Mahato of Baliagara village was serious and was admitted to Deben Mahato Medical College Hospital in Purulia town.
Joypur police has lodged a suo motu case under Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, said Abhijit Banerjee, superintendent of police in Purulia. He said that an FIR has been lodged against the organisers and already four persons have been arrested in this connection under various sections.
After Mahalaya, in various parts of Purulia, buffalo fighting takes place, though it is banned. There had been incidents of injury and even death of spectators.
A pair of specially-trained buffaloes fight against each other. These buffaloes were kept confined inside a dark room for one to three months and their eyes were also covered. It is released into open sunlight on the day of the fight.
The male buffalo fight is fierce and often one of them dies. In Bengal, buffalo fights locally known as ‘karar lorai’ are very much popular in Purulia district.
Under the Cruelty to Animal Act, in fact, the games of wild animals in circuses are already banned in India and all circus companies in the country have dropped the popular stunts involving wild animals.
About 20,000 to 30,000 strong crowds gather to watch these intense buffaloes.