Two jallikattu spectators die in Tamil Nadu

MADURAI: A 26-year-old jallikattu spectator was gored to death by a bull outside the sporting arena at Alanganallur on Friday, police said. Sridhar sustained grievous injuries after he was attacked by a bull off the exit and bull collection point.

A native of Sholavandhan village, he travelled to Alanganallur to witness the sport.

Another eyewitness, Chellapandi of Oothupatti village, too, died and the reason for his death was still being ascertained, police added. “Both of them were spectators and they were not on the ground (as contestants) where the bull-taming sport was held,” a police official said.

“It is suspected that Chellapandi might have had some preexisting health condition. He fell down and sustained injuries. However, whether he was gored by a bull or not is unclear since there was a huge crowd,” another official added. Their bodies were moved to the Government Rajaji Hospital.

The ongoing jallikattu season began on January 15 at Avaniapuram in Madurai district.

On Thursday, more than 20 bull tamers were injured during jallikattu events held in different oarts of the state.

The bull-taming events had in the past courted controversies with stiff opposition from animal rights activists who alleged violence against the bovines.

In 2015 and the following year, the sport remained banned following a Supreme Court order in May 2014. The apex court had held jallikattu as violative of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act), 1960.

However, in January 2017, widespread protests peaked across Tamil Nadu seeking approval for holding jallikattu.

Defying the ban, the sport was held in a number of places and slowly the protests took the shape of a mass movement and the vast expanse of the Marina beach in Chennai emerged as the epicentre of the stir.

Amid continuing protests, the Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 23, 2017 unanimously passed an amendment bill for conducting the bull taming sport without any hindrance. The Bill defined jallikattu as an event involving bulls and conducted from January to May.