India
Police Raid Raiguda Forest Area, Seize Over Rs 20 Lakh in Cockfight Betting
Police raided a forest area near Raiguda village, within Bhadrakali police station limits in Bijapur district, on November 3. The operation, prompted by intelligence about large‑scale betting disguised as traditional cockfights, resulted in the arrest of 156 people and the seizure of more than Rs 20 lakh, 47 four‑wheelers and 12 mobile phones. The raid was described as one of the biggest gambling busts in Bastar and took place before Diwali, a period when authorities intensify surveillance of illegal betting. The forest, once controlled by Maoists, has become a site for interstate cockfight gambling, drawing punters from Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The crackdown marks a shift from armed conflict to organized betting in the region.