Date:18/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/18/stories/2008011855840300.htm

Tamil Nadu

One killed in jallikattu

Staff Reporter

Seven injured at various events in many villages

— PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

One against many: Youth take position around a bull at a jallikattu in Natham Madipatti near Dindigul on Thursday.

THENI: Muthu Rawther (70) was killed on the spot when a bull attacked him at a jallikattu (the bull) at Kottur near here on Thursday. Eyewitnesses said that the deceased, while watching the bull fight, accidentally fell inside the bullfight area, inviting attack from an angry bull.

The death led to two groups of his relatives attacking each other. V. Iyappan, his wife Lakshmi, and M. Iyappan were attacked with sickles and lethal weapons. The injured were admitted to Theni Government Medical College Hospital. The police sources said that prior enmity between Kottur panchayat president Muthuvel and his archrival Chandrasekaran was another reason for the clash. Heavy police force was deployed at the village. All shops downed shutters.

Dindigul

Despite tight security and preventive measures, seven persons were injured in jallikattu at three villages in the district on Thursday. Five were injured — three admitted as in-patients to Palani Government Hospital and two others as outpatients — at a jallikattu in Andipatti and Periya Kalayamputhur in Palani taluk. Of the five, Marimuthu (40) of New Ayakudi, Manikandan (21) of Balasamudram and Nagaraj (35) of Palani received grievous injuries.

Two were injured at Natham Vadipatti in Sanarpatti union. A bull tossed Marimuthu in the air. In subsequent attacks, he was wounded critically. Two bullfighters were injured in the Andipatti event. Led by Deputy Superintendent of Police K. Vengidusamy, adequate force regulated the bullfight at Natham Vadipatti. Participants were instructed on safety to the bulls. However, a section of people behaved unruly and the police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse a group who blocked the exit point for bulls in order to divert them against fighters.

Precautionary measures and timely intervention by the police had restricted the injured to two at Vadipatti. Over 50 bulls from Dindigul, Natham, Ulagampatti, Sanarpatti and Vadamadurai were brought for the event.