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Saturday, Jul 28, 2007
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Supreme Court stays order refusing ban on jallikattu

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Madras High Court judgment refusing to ban ‘jallikattu’ (bull race) in Alanganallur and other places in Tamil Nadu during Pongal.

A three-Judge Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Tarun Chatterjee and Justice R.V. Raveendran stayed the operation of the March 9 judgment.

The Bench, acting on a special leave petition from Animal Welfare Board of India, issued notice to the State and A. Nagarajan, who filed a writ petition in the High Court.

Senior counsel K. K. Venugopal, appearing for the Board, said a single judge had banned the event, observing that the bulls were subjected to enormous cruelty before and during the competition.

However, a Division Bench of the Madurai Bench of the High Court had reversed the decision accepting the State’s submission that the sport attracted lot of foreign tourists.

Mr. Venugopal brought to the notice of the court that before the event, “the bulls are made to drink arrack (alcohol) and chilli powder is sprinkled into their eyes to make them ferocious. In the ‘manjavirattu’ event, the bulls are chased for several km by the people.”

Assailing the High Court order, the Board in its appeal said ‘jallikattu’ was in clear violation of Section 11 (a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

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