Youth trying to tame a bull at a jallikattu held at Nallamanaickenpatti near Dindigul on Saturday. | Photo Credit: G_KARTHIKEYAN;G_KARTHIKEYAN - G_KARTHIKEYAN more-in Jallikattu organised in various villages spread across Dindigul, Pudukottai, Tiruchi and Ariyalur districts on Saturday on the occasion of Mahashivaratri left 123 people injured. Seventy four persons were injured at Nallamanaickenpatti and Iyyampalayam villages near Dindigul. A clash between two groups, including tamers, marred the event at Nallamanaickenpatti. The grievously injured bull owners – Sesu Raj (26) of Pugaiyilaipatti and C. Gurusamy (34) of Madur village – were referred to Dindigul Government Hospital. When four tamers from Kosavapatti pounced on a bull, the protection committee members chased them away. In a fit of anger, a section of tamers, who suspected that bull owners had complained against them, attacked two bull owners at the exit point. They received deep cuts on their heads. The police had to intervene and restore order. The injured were shifted to the medical camp at the village. Meanwhile, a group of people from a nearby village attempted to attack the unruly tamers from Kosavapatti. The police chased them away quickly and prevented a group clash. The event saw several interruptions owing to skirmishes among tamers in the play arena. Sometimes, the tamers manhandled the other competitors. The police had to enter the arena and several tamers were tired soon owing to scorching heat. Eighteen persons, majority of them tamers, were injured. Of the total 282 registered tamers, only 248 were allowed to take part and 34 were rejected on health grounds. Around 227 bulls from Dindigul and nearby districts took part. A total of 56 persons including 29 spectators were injured in the jallikattu held at Iyampalayam near Batlagundu on the same day. Of the 300 registered bull tamers, five were rejected. About 180 bulls from various parts of Dindigul and Madurai took part in the event. It took a long time to run all the bulls as the venue was a narrow lane. Tamers too found it difficult to play owing to paucity of space inside the play arena. Sufficient force was deployed at both the villages to regulate the crowd. Besides, prizes such as silver coin, cash, bicycle, cot and vessels were given to tamers and bull owners. 17 injured Seventeen persons were injured in a jallikattu held at Koothaipar near Tiruverumbur in Tiruchi district on Saturday. Among the injured, four persons sustained multiple-fractures and were admitted to the K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College Hospital. As many as 302 bulls from Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, and Perambalur were brought for the event. Of them, four were rejected on medical grounds by the officials of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Remaining bulls were released one after the other from the vadi vassal. Similarly, out of 381 bull tamers who registered for the event, two were disqualified for non-adherence to rules. There were 10,000 spectators, including 3,000 women. Spot prizes were given to the outstanding tamers. Collector K.S. Palanisamy and Superintendent of Police T. Senthil Kumar supervised the event to ensure that the rules and regulations were adhered to. A bull that participated in the jallikattu died after being hit by a train at Kumaresapuram. The incident occurred when the bull belonging to a farmer in Thanjavur district was running on a track near Kumaresapuram railway gate, after being let loose from vadi vasal. Three injured Three persons suffered injuries in another jallikattu held at Singarayam in Ariyalur district. They were admitted to the Government Hospital in Ariyalur. They are stated to be out of danger. About 160 bulls were released in the event witnessed by about 10,000 people. Twenty nine persons were injured at the ‘jallikattu’ at Vanniyanviduthi near Pudukottai on Saturday where it was a being held after four years. A total of 124 bulls were brought from different villages. (Inputs from K. Raju, C. Jaisanker and M. Balaganessin)

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