MADURAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered that the jallikattu events at Avaniyapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur be conducted by the revenue department.

Murugan, a resident of Avaniyapuram in Madurai, filed a plea before the Madurai High Court seeking orders to be issued to allow the Avaniyapuram jallikattu festival to be conducted by the village jallikattu committee and to provide police security for it.

During the hearing before a bench comprising Justices Jayachandran and Ramakrishnan, the intervening petitioner stated that, as problems arose because people from several communities live in Avaniyapuram, the High Court had earlier directed that jallikattu be conducted by forming two committees.

Following this, the judge observed, “Jallikattu is not an IPL match. Permission for jallikattu was obtained only after several phases of protests. When some individuals conducted jallikattu, confusion arose and problems were created. Therefore, it would be better if the jallikattu event is conducted by the Revenue Department."

Revenue Department officials should form advisory committees comprising representatives of all communities living in the respective areas in all these three places and conduct the jallikattu events, it said and disposed of the petition.