Jallikattu: SC finds no ground to allow bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu, rejects review petition

The Supreme Court rejected a review petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government to no ground to allow bull taming sport Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a review petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government for allowing Jallikattu as it found no ground to allow the state for the bull taming sport. 

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R F Nariman rejected the state government's review petition, filed in 2014 through its Chief Secretary, saying that it was illegal and unconstitutional as the taming of bulls for such an event amounted to "cruelty".

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for the state, submitted during the hearing that the jallikattu is not cruel as a whole, and instances of animal torture are isolated cases.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and RF Nariman had earlier asserted that 'animals may not have rights but humans cannot negate their obligation enshrined under the Constitution'.

"We cannot import Roman Gladiator type sport here. One can use a computer for indulging in bull fighting. Why tame bulls for it," the bench had said in its November 8 ruling.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu while filing a review petition in the court  had said that 'when humans can run for marathon, why can bulls not be made to do so'.

To this, the bench had asserted that "while humans have a free will, but bulls are forced into it".

Jallikattu, also known Eruthazhuvuthal, is a bull-taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a part of the Pongal harvest festival.

The apex court had banned the controversial bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu citing extreme mishandling of bulls during the event. 

The court in its 2014 judgement had said that bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.