Jallikattu event leaves police officer injured in Tamil Nadu

A police officer on duty at a Jallikattu event, the traditional bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu, was injured when a bull charged at him.

The officer was taken to a hospital and he was later said to be stable.

Jallikattu, a sport wherein bull tamers attempt to grab the hump of a bull in a closed arena, is quite popular in Tamil Nadu and is organised during Pongal festival in January.

Despite concerns raised over animal cruelty and Covid-19, the sport was allowed to be conducted this year with a number of restrictions.

The new regulations require all participants to carry certificate of full vaccination and a negative RT-PCR test report. The arena should have only 300 bull tamers while the audience section should have 50 per cent or 150 spectators (whichever is lower). The bull tamers are allowed in small batches.

The three-day event is held in Alanganallur, Palamedu, Avaniyapuram of Madurai district in a major way.

This year, the sport has claimed the life of one man and injured about 80 people. A 19-year-old youth was lost his life when a raging bull attacked him at Avaniyapuram Jallikattu arena.