A man has died after being killed by his own bird during an illegal cockfight in southern India.
Per BBC News, the rooster had been fitted with a three-inch knife called a "kodi kathi" prior to the blood sport event, which was being held at the Yellamma Temple in Jagtial District, Telangana, on February 22.
However, as the bird tried to escape, its 45-year-old owner was inadvertently impaled in the groin by the blade. The knife had been attached to the rooster's leg.
The owner died from loss of blood on his way to a nearby hospital.
Police are now on the hunt for 15 more individuals involved in the illegal event.
The AFP news agency reports that those involved now face charges of manslaughter, illegal betting, and hosting a cockfight.
Local police officer B Jeevan said: "We are searching for the other 15 people involved in organizing the illegal fight."
And in another bizarre twist to the story, Jeevan revealed that cockerel will be presented in court at a later date as evidence, The New Indian Express states.
The blood sport of cockfighting was made illegal in India back in 1960, but despite the ban, fights are still relatively common in rural areas such as Telangana. Their popularity is said to increase around the Hindu festival of Sankranti.
This is also not the first human death to come from a cockerel.
Per CNN, last year a man in Andhra Pradesh died under similar circumstances when he was killed on the way to a cockfight by his bird, which had all been fitted with a blade.
And in another incident on October 26, a police officer in the Philippines lost his life during a raid on an illegal cockfight event after a rooster sliced through an artery in his leg, causing him to led him to bleed out and die.
The tragic incident occurred in Northern Samar when Lieutenant Christine Bolok attended the scene of an illegal cockfighting ring in an attempt to gather evidence.
Per BBC News, provincial police chief Colonel Arnel Apud confirmed that the bird had been equipped with a razor blade, and said in a statement: "I have a heavy heart as we have lost a brother who sacrificed his own life in the name of service.
"The [Philippine National Police] grieves the untimely death of Lt Bolok and extends its deepest sympathy to his family and relatives."
He added: "It was an unfortunate accident and a piece of bad luck that I cannot explain.
"I could not believe it when it was first reported to me. This is the first time in my 25 years as a policeman that I lost a man due to a fighting cock's spur."
