SC stays Jallikattu following violation of its earlier order

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday banned Tamil Nadu���s bull-taming sport, Jallikattu, held every year as part of Pongal celebrations after expressing serious concern over flouting of its guidelines on the event.

���Till February 13, collectors shall not give any permission for holding it (Jallikattu),��� said a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam.

���Apparently guidelines have been not followed. It appears that guidelines have been violated,��� the bench said when senior counsel K K Venugopal appearing for the Animal Welfare Board flashed some photographs depicting severe injuries inflicted during the event.

This year, 21 people died and 1,614 injured, said Mr Venugopal. He showed the picture depicting injury inflicted to one policeman. In one case, the doctor was shown treating a person with a deep wound.

Earlier, the apex court had permitted holding of the traditional sport under the supervision of the state administration which was to ensure that no injury to human beings and cruelty towards animals was caused.

���District authorities would take all precautions to prevent injury to spectators or animals,��� the court had said.
Any organisation or club which intends to hold Jallikattu will have to inform the concerned district collector 3 days prior to the event and the officials of the Animal Welfare Board will have to be allowed to witness the event under security, it had ordered.

���All precautions have to be taken by the district authorities that animals are not subjected to any sort of cruelty���, it had said.

The court had asked authorities to provide adequate number of veterinarians at 400 different event venues in 12 districts.

It had also directed for a video recording of the event and collector was to give a report within two weeks.
The court had vacated the stay imposed on holding Jallikattu on an assurance of the state government that authorities had come out with elaborated guidelines to prevent cruelty against animals and safety of human beings.

It had stayed the order of a division bench of the Madras high court which had allowed holding of the event under the supervision of administration on a petition of the Animal Welfare Board.

The board had said that the practice of Jallikattu was in clear violation of Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals Act and it had become the duty of the state to prevent such events.