Bull tamer gored to death, nine injured at Dindigul jallikattu

Madurai: A 24-year-old bull tamer from Alanganallur was gored to death and nine others were injured during a jallikattu event held at Pugaiyilaipatti in Dindigul district on Wednesday.The event, organised as part of the St Sandhiyagappar and St Sebastian Church festival, featured nearly 800 bulls from Dindigul, Theni, Madurai, Virudhunagar and Sivaganga districts. Revenue divisional officer Thirumalai flagged off the event at 8.30am, after which registered tamers took a safety oath. Officials said around 400 registered tamers and 800 bulls underwent medical screening before participation. Despite safety measures, several participants and spectators sustained injuries. Among the injured were bull owners Murugesan and Dharma, tamers Vimal and Arun Pandi, and spectators Sesuraj and Thamizharasan. Most suffered minor injuries, while Thamizharasan was kept under observation at Dindigul Govt Hospital. Balaguru, 24, from Alanganallur in Madurai district, suffered fatal injuries after being attacked by a bull inside the arena. He was rushed to Dindigul govt hospital but died during treatment. More than 300 police and security personnel were deployed to manage the large crowd. Allegations of security lapses surfaced after the incident, but Dindigul district collector S Saravanan denied them. "Everything is ensured as per guidelines of the GO, and I clearly instructed the revenue and police departments to comply with conditions fixed by the govt," he told TOI. He added that permission would not be granted if there were gaps in safety arrangements. The collector said heavy crowding at the collection point led to minor local disturbances and assured that safety norms would be enforced strictly in upcoming jallikattu events. Successful tamers and owners of unvanquished bulls were awarded prizes, including gold and silver coins, bicycles, bureaus and household appliances.