Tamil Nadu: Man gored to death, 90 others sustain injuries in manjuvirattu held in Pudukottai

TRICHY: A 52-year-old man was gored to death while 90 others sustained injuries at a manjuvirattu event held at Virachilai near Thirumayam in Pudukottai district on Friday. Around 600 bulls and a large number of bull tamers took part in the sport which was organised in connection with Diwali.
Revenue and police officials stopped the event halfway through, stating that the sport was organized without getting prior permission and booked cases against 10 villagers.
According to sources, it is usual for manjuvirattu to be organized every year in view of Diwali festival in the village. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was not held in the last two years. Although the state government had announced various relaxations following the corona cases coming down in recent days, the government did not state anything about conduct of jallikattu or majuvirattu, sources added.
Around 600 bulls from Pudukottai, Theni, Trichy, Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai participated in the event. A large number of people converged on the ground from across several districts in and around Pudukottai and attempted to tame the bulls. Unlike the conventional jallikattu event where the bulls are running inside the confined area, bulls run in a haphazard manner among the crowd in manjuvirattu.
During the event, G Karuppaiah 52, of Parali in Pudukottai district succumbed to grievous injuries after a bull which was let loose in the ground gored him, police said.
On information that the event had been conducted without getting prior approval, village administrative officer Palaniyappan lodged a complaint with the police. Thirumayam tahsildar Pravina Mary rushed to the spot and ordered to stop the event abruptly.
Based on the official’s complaint, Panayapatti police registered cases against the organisers under various sections of IPC.