Tension at Karlagatta village in Kuppam as police thwarts Jallikattu

TIRUPATI: Tension prevailed at Karlagatta village in Santhipuram mandal of Chittoor district on Sunday as villagers raised a chorus of protest against police intervention to thwart the traditional bull-taming sport – an inferior version of Tamil Nadu’s Jallikattu.

Defying orders, the villagers of Karlagatta organised the bull-taming sport. It began around 6.30am when a large number of people from the bordering villages of Chittoor and parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka converged at the village.

However, a youth identified as Vinayaka from Vaniyambadi of Tamil Nadu was injured when he tried to catch hold of a rushing bull. A few others were also injured. They were rushed to local hospitals for treatment. 

A baseless rumour spread that a Tamil Nadu-based youth was killed by a rushing bull. It went viral on social media. The Kuppam rural police rushed to the hospital and made enquiries. They confirmed that the injured youth was responding to treatment in a hospital. Thereafter, cops went to the village and halted the bull-taming sport.

“There was no permission for such a show,” Kuppam rural CI Suryamohan Rao said. 

The police had allowed the holding of the banned sport in the last few years. Police intervention to halt it this time drew protests from the villagers. There was a heated argument between the villagers and the police and a mild cane-charge followed. The police are contemplating registration of cases against the organisers.