SC unleashes TN Jallikattu bulls

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the traditional annual festival of Jallikattu, the bull taming sport connected with the harvest festival of Pongal in Tamil Nadu, to be organised under the supervision of the state administration in order to ensure that no injury to human beings and cruelty towards animals is caused.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justice R V Raveendran and Justice J M Panchal said, “The district authorities would take all precautions to prevent injury to spectators or animals.”

Any organisation or club which intends to hold Jallikattu will have to inform the concerned district collector three days prior to the event, and the officials of the Animal Welfare Board will have to be allowed to witness the event under security, the court ordered.

“All precautions have to be taken by the district authorities that animals are not subjected to any sort of cruelty,” said the court.

The apex court asked the authorities to deploy adequate number of veterinarians wherever such events are organised. It is scheduled to be organised at 400 different places in 12 districts of the state.

Directing the authorities for a video recording of the event, the court said after the event the collector will have to give a report within two weeks.

The court vacated the stay imposed on holding Jallikattu after additional solicitor general Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, submitted that the authorities have come out with elaborate guidelines to prevent cruelty to animals and ensure safety to human beings.

Double barricading of the places where such event is going to be organised will prevent any accidents, said Mr Subramanium.

Raising the plea that the event is connected with the cultural and religious sentiments of the people in the state, Mr Subramanium sought the apex court to allow holding of the event. It was a part of the festival which should be allowed, Mr Subramanium said.