Two tamers, including student, killed in two jallikattu events

Several injured during the bull-taming spectacle in Coimbatore and Dindigul

Tamers piling on a bull during a jallikattu event at Chettipalayam in Coimbatore on Sunday.

A bull tamer was gored to death in a jallikattu event in Coimbatore, while another — a Class XII student — was killed in a separate event in Dindigul on Sunday.

In Coimbatore, several people were injured when 800-odd tamers took on more than 1,000 bulls in the presence of thousands of spectators at an event on the outskirts of the city.

P. Subash, 23, a native of Pudukottai, died after a bull he was trying to tame pierced his chest with one of its horns. Though he was rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) after being administered first aid, doctors declared him ‘brought dead’. A hardcore jallikattu enthusiast, Subash was staying near Chettipalayam, reportedly after his family sent him there for work.

Another tamer was admitted to a private hospital after a bull pierced his throat with its horn.

Organisers said Murugan, a bull owner from Salem, suffered a serious injury after a bull attacked him when he was loading his animal on to a vehicle near the exit of the vadivasal .

Rise in numbers

According to Health Department officials, 17 persons who suffered serious injuries were admitted to the CMCH and a private hospital, while more than 300 persons were administered first aid at the venue.

Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S.P. Velumani opened the vadivasal for the third edition of the event held at Chettipalayam since 2018. He said the number of tamers and bulls had gone up this year when compared to the turnouts in the previous editions.

Jointly organised by the district administration and the Kovai Jallikattu Peravai, the event drew the participation of bull tamers and bulls largely from Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Tiruchi, Salem, Pudukottai, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts.

In Dindigul, a Plus-Two student, P. Nagaraj, was gored to death by a bull at an event organised by St. Antony’s Church at Nallamanaickenpatti.

The police said the boy, hailing from Vellakuttu near Natham, was studying at a Government Higher Secondary School.

He was gored to death when he tried to tame a bull after getting into the arena.

‘Lacked experience’

“The incident took place within 20 metres of the vadivasal . As the bull rushed into the arena, the boy, who seemed inexperienced in jallikattu, was caught unawares, and the bull gored him on his back,” Dindigul Superintendent of Police R. Sakthivel said.

The victim was rushed to the government hospital in Dindigul. However, he succumbed to injuries.

The police said the boy had duly registered his name for the event. However, a police source raised the suspicion that he may have fudged his age in order to become eligible for the event.

“Only those who were aged 18 years or above and had a healthy physique were allowed into the arena after a health check-up by a team of doctors,” the officer said.

After the boy was declared dead, the event was brought to an abrupt end.