TIRUCHY/VELLORE: A 39-year-old spectator died late on Wednesday night due to injuries sustained when he was attacked by a bull at an unauthorised manju virattu at Kallagam near Lalgudi earlier that day. The organisers allegedly failed to put any safety measures in place while releasing the bulls. In a similar event at Vellore on Thursday, 10 people were injured, one of them critically.
The deceased from Kallagam, Balakrishnan, was attacked by a bull and sustained severe injuries. He succumbed to his injuries at the Thanjavur medical college hospital. Balakrishnan’s widow, Dhanalakshmi (36) filed a complaint at Kallakudi police station against the organisers, who allegedly failed to obtain permission from police and the animal husbandry department. Eight organisers were named in the FIR. Police booked 40 relatives and neighbours of Balakrishnan who blocked the Tiruchy-Chidambaram national highway near Kallagam.
At the illegal manju virattu held at the Govinda Reddipalayam in Vellore, 45-year-old Subramanian was critically injured and is under intensive care at the Vellore government medical hospital.
Photojourno attacked for documenting injuries at race
Nine others were hurt at the event during which 100 bulls were released. At the same event, a man was attacked and injured by his own bull. The organising team assaulted newspaper lensman Arivazhagan, who was documenting the injuries to spectators.
Arivazhagan’s camera was damaged and he sustained minor injuries. Anaicut police have registered a case based on his complaint. The police and revenue authorities are probing the violations at Govinda Reddipalayam. Although, manju virattu and jallikattu events were initially given a go-ahead in 55 villages across Vellore, a reassessment of untoward incidents last year prompted a three-year ban in the district.
Probe in Vellore
Police and revenue authorities are probing the Govinda Reddipalayam event where a man was critically hurt. The organisers also allegedly assaulted a journalist.