Even as bullfights are illegal, youths hold bullfight matches in Bhiwandi taluka; mark birthday of a 10-year-old champion bull with more than 500 people amid COVID
Bulls are seen bleeding during a bullfight match. Pics/Hanif Patel
Keeping rules and laws at bay, a group of youth celebrated the grand birthday of a 10-year-old buffalo with more than 500 people in attendance at Vadunavghar village in Bhiwandi taluka of Thane district. The celebration was grand as the buffalo, named Raja, recently won a bullfighting match, which is illegal, in Vajreshwari.
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Raja’s custodian is Ketan Balram Patil, 25, who runs a tabela. “We celebrated Raja’s birthday on January 1 in our village where more than 500 people gathered,” Patil told mid-day.
Bulls seen bleeding during their violent fights
“We brought Raja home 10 years ago for Rs 20,000. Since then, we have been looking after him. My whole day is dedicated to raising him. I keep him untethered so he can run freely in open land and remain physically fit,” Patil added.
He said, “He last played the bullfighting game in Vajreshwari on December 12 and won.”
No regard for law, bull’s health
Despite the sport being illegal, the group of youth circulate messages among each other and decide on an open land and a date for bullfighting matches. Patil, however, said that they don’t place any bet. “Our next bullfighting sport is scheduled to take place next month,” he added.
Sources told mid-day that the custodians of these animals forcefully make them drink alcohol before subjecting them to fights. After the match, bulls are left bleeding with multiple bruises all over their body.
Saying that he makes Raja drink alcohol, Patil said, “It is just for fun… I have been offering a healthy diet to Raja. Every month, I spend over R15,000 on his food. I have raised him only for bullfights, which is my passion.”
When asked about injuries, he told mid-day, “He gets injured due to the fights but a veterinary doctor visits my tabela and administers medicine. The wounds heal in hardly a week.”
Talking about the birthday celebration amid COVID, Patil said, “Since Raja has many fans in Bhiwandi, the guests too brought cakes with them. Around 16 cakes were cut that day, followed by dance. It was a fun-packed celebration.”
How they evade cops
In the recent video of the illegal bullfight, scores of youth are seen cheering for their respective animals at an open land in Vajreshwari. mid-day accessed multiple such videos.
When asked if the police do not chase them away, Patil said, “We have to manage. We hold the bullfight early in the morning. I loaded Raja in a tempo and took him to Vajreshwari from my village, had the fight and returned home. He has fought nearly two dozen bullfights till date and never lost,” Patil said.
However, deputy sarpanch Sachin Patil said, “Bullfighting does not happen in our village. This has been stopped. But I am not sure if the youth go to other villages to play the banned game. In the past, they had been warned by police on one or two occasions for the same.”
PETA speaks
“Animal fights are a sick and cruel form of ‘entertainment’. Not only are these incidents illegal, they are also inhumane and wrong. Animals who are made to fight often incur fatal injuries, and the fights can result in accidents to human spectators too. Bulls/buffaloes who are made to fight end up with wounds all over their bodies,” said Meet Ashar, lawyer and animal rights advocate.
“Inciting animals to fight is illegal in India, by law, and by order of the Supreme Court. Animal fights violate Sections 3 and 11(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960,” said Ashar, who is also the Associate Manager, Emergency Response Team, PETA India.
10 years
Age of the bull
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