55 injured in TN during 'Jallikattu'

Stone-pelting and injury mars Tamil Nadu's age-old sport of taming wild bulls in connection with the Pongal and local temple festivals.

Stone-pelting and injury to 55 people marred Tamil Nadu's age-old sport of taming wild bulls in Alanganallur on Thursday in connection with the Pongal (harvest) and local temple festivals.

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According to police, three persons suffered "major injuries" while 52 others suffered minor injuries during Jallikattu.

Police made a lathicharge to disperse a section of the crowd that turned unruly, trying to enter the sports arena.

This is the third major jallikattu being held in the state after the Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed its earlier ban on the sport conducted in the 11 southern districts coinciding with the harvest festival.

The apex court, while passing orders on a revision plea by the state government, imposed a series of conditions to ensure the safety of the bulls and also of spectators.

At least 129 people were injured in the two events held on Wednesday in Palamedu in Madurai District and Periyasuriyur near Tiruchirappalli.

Two layers of barricades were up around the sports arena to ensure the safety of spectators who included more than 100 foreign tourists.

All the participants, who took on the bulls, were checked while the Blue Cross official examined the animals to see if they had been intoxicated.