HC orders insurance to kin of man who died during jallikattu event

Madurai: Madras high court has directed an insurance company to pay Rs5 lakh to a woman whose husband was gored to death by a bull during a jallikattu event in Karur district.

The court was hearing the petition filed by K Mathuram. The petitioner stated that her husband was gored to death by a bull at the jallikattu event conducted in Ratchandar Thirumalai village in Karur district in 2025. The entire event was covered by an insurance policy issued by the United India Insurance Company Limited. In the event of death or 100% permanent disability, the sum assured is Rs5 lakh.

Though she claimed the insurance amount, the same was not released by the company. Hence, the petitioner moved court.

The counsel for the company submitted that the insurance was not paid due to two objections mentioned in the investigation report.

Firstly, as per the FIR, the petitioner’s husband was standing near the bull collection point. The second objection is that the FIR does not mention the name of the owner of the bull that gored the petitioner’s husband.

Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the FIR does not state that the husband had strayed into the path of the bulls. Therefore, the first objection stands overruled.

The second objection is that the owner of the bull is not mentioned, although it would have been more appropriate for the police to include the bull owner’s name in the FIR. This objection, therefore, is merely hyper-technical. The policy is taken by paying a premium precisely to cover such unfortunate events, the judge observed and directed the company to pay Rs 5 lakh.