VELLORE/SALEM/MADURAI/KRISHNAGIRI: Four more persons, including a 68-year-old man, lost their lives in various bull-related Pongal events in Vellore, Salem, Madurai and Krishnagiri districts.
In Vellore’s Ariyur, 56-year-old Thilagar of Kattukanar village in Tiruvannamalai district, was gored to death at the eruthu vidum vizha held at Govindareddipalayam on Sunday. Ariyur police said Thilagar had come to Ariyur to celebrate Pongal with his daughter and went to watch the local bull releasing festival. “The bulls were almost near the finishing lines when one of them gored Thilagar. He died on the spot,” police said. Thilagar’s body was sent to the Vellore Government Hospital at Adukkamparai for postmortem examination. A case has been filed and further investigation is under way.
Similarly, another fatal incident was reported from Mecheri near Mettur in Salem district late on Saturday at an erudhattam event. This comes in the wake of the deaths of three others earlier in the day during jallikattu events in the Gangavalli and Attur areas, taking the district’s death toll to four. According to police, the erudhattam event at Mecheri had concluded and the bulls were being taken away by their owners when one of them suddenly went berserk, charged into a group of spectators and gored 58-year-old Rajkumar, a farmer from Mettur. A severely-injured Rajkumar was being transported to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital after first aid, when he succumbed, police said.
A 68-year-old man died on Saturday night after he was hit by a bull on Friday during the Palamedu jallikattu in Madurai district. The deceased was identified as V Selvaraj, a resident of Mela Anuppanadi near Madurai city. Police said Selvaraj attended the jallikattu event in Palamedu on Friday. While walking near the ticket collection point at the tail end of the arena, he was hit by a bull. Selvaraj was immediately taken to the Primary Health Centre in Palamedu, where no external injuries were found. Subsequently, he was transferred to the Government Rajaji Hospital. During treatment, doctors found an internal haemorrhage within his skull. Despite medical efforts, he died on Saturday night.
In Krishnagiri district, 39-year-old R Elavarasan of M Savalur village, was gored to death by a bull when he was spectating the traditional eruthattam event near Kaveripattinam on Saturday evening. Police said Elavarasan was employed at a private firm in Hosur. The incident took place during the customary eruthattam event when a bull runs around the village’s Mariyamman temple. Police sent Elavarasan’s body to the Government Krishnagiri Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Upon a complaint by his brother R Edison (35), Kaveripattinam police have filed a case and further probe is on. “Eruthattam is a customary Pongal event and does not need any permission from the district administration. Hence, no case was filed against the event organised,” police told TNIE.