HC permits jallikattu during church festival

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has granted permission to conduct jallikattu on the occasion of St Anthony's festival at Kosavapatty village in Dindigul. On January 12, the bench had granted permission to conduct jallikattu events only in Madurai, Trichy and Sivangangai.
On behalf of the villagers in Kosavapatty, one A Arul Raj in his petition said that for centuries the villagers have been celebrating jallikattu on the eve of St Anthony's festival which falls in the month of February.This year, they are planning to hold the event on February 10.
Though the villagers submitted a representation to the Dindigul district collector to grant permission, no effort was taken in that direction. Now, they came to understand that since the earlier court order permitting to conduct jallikattu has not included Dindigul district, the collector was reluctant to grant permission for the event. Hence, the present petition.
When the matter came for hearing before Justice Chitra venkatraman and R Karuppiah, it was submitted by the petitioner's counsel that the event was conducted in the village abiding all conditions put forth under the Tamil Nadu Jallikkattu Act, 2009.
The judges said the earlier order, which was passed on January 12 was also applicable for this petition.
Meanwhile, the bench directed K P Narayana Kumar, the petitioner's counsel to serve notice to the respective counsels of the Union and state governments and the Animal Welfare Board of India on a petition challenging a provision of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which empowers the Centre to notify any animal.