It’s a rough life being a fighting cock, when danger lurks both in and outside the arena.

Earlier this week, police in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh raided an illegal cockfight betting operation in the district of Betul following a tipoff. However, the organizers and bettors in attendance all managed to make good their escape, leaving the police without anything to show for their efforts.

As a result, the police decided to ‘arrest’ the two roosters who were left behind by their owners in the confusion. Before the roosters could lawyer up, local villagers reportedly ratted out the birds’ owners, who were summarily dragged before a local judge on Thursday and fined the whopping sum of Rs 1k (US$15.65) after admitting their guilt.

While the two roosters were required to appear in court alongside their owners, they appear to have escaped further punishment. Although, that depends on how pissed off and/or hungry their owners were after their public shaming.