With several villages in Tiruchi district seeking permission to hold ‘jallikattu,’ the Tiruchi Rural Police have been instructed to ensure that safety arrangements are put in place as per norms and guidelines ahead of the event.
Officers at the field level have been asked to visit the villages planning to hold jallikattu and inspect the arena where the event is proposed to be conducted.
Police personnel are also part of the meeting being conducted at the sub-divisional level with the organisers of the jallikattu by revenue officials.
Till now, petitions seeking permission to conduct jallikattu have been received from 18 villages, including Periya Suriyur, Pothamettupatti, Manjampatti, Sobhanapuram, Karungulam and Vadugarpettai, police sources said.
Preliminary arrangements are already in place at Periya Suriyur village near Tiruchi, where it is customary to organise the traditional sport on the second day of the Tamil month of Thai when Mattu Pongal is celebrated.
Security scheme sought
“We are mainly focussing on the safety arrangements, and the respective field-level police officers have been asked to come out with a draft security scheme for the jallikattu proposed to be held in areas under their jurisdiction after inspecting them,” said Superintendent of Police P.S.C. Kalyan.
The Deputy Superintendents of Police heading the sub division have also asked to inspect the spot where the event has been planned and examine various aspects connected with safety and security, according to the sources.
The law enforcement officials have been asked to examine the entry and exit points, the vaadi vaasal from where the participating bulls are released one after the other, and the space for parking of ambulances to shift the injured and for the deployment of medical and veterinary teams.
The police will insist on installing an emergency exit near the vaadi vaasal as well and ensuring that double barricades are erected at the arena to prevent onlookers from entering it.
Also, the police will make a request to the district administration not to accord permission to hold jallikattu in two villages on the same day, keeping in mind the deployment of police personnel. The police will submit a report to the district administration prior to permission being accorded to hold the event, said the sources.
Manapparai is hotspot
The Tiruchi Rural Police has within its jurisdiction five sub divisions – Tiruverumbur, Jeeyapuram, Lalgudi, Musiri and Manapparai.
A majority of the jallikattu events are proposed to be organised in Manapparai sub division, said the sources.
