Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Ganesh Joshi was arrested on Friday for allegedly beating up a prized Uttarakhand Police horse and breaking her leg. Hindustan Times reported that three separate police cases were filed against the Mussoorie MLA for hurting the 14-year-old Kathiawari mare. According to ANI, he has been remanded in 14-day judicial custody after being produced before a local court.
Shaktiman underwent a surgery on Thursday to replace the damaged leg with a temporary prosthetic limb. The Maneka Gandhi-led People For Animals had offered to take the horse under their care at their Dehradun facility, reported Economic Times. Police said the horse, who has served the force for 10 years, will remain with it.
According to The Indian Express, Joshi and his associates beat up the horse with wooden sticks during a protest march by Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Dehradun on Monday. As Shaktiman tried to step back to get away from the attackers, her legs buckled and got stuck in a railing on the road causing a deep injury to her left hind leg. A case was registered against Joshi and his supporters under Cruelty to Animals Act on Tuesday. Joshi has denied the charges and the BJP, which is in opposition in Uttarakhand, has held that it is a ploy of the ruling Congress party to shift focus from real issues.
Ravinder Singh, who has been in charge of Shaktiman for the past five years, said, “She is one of the most intelligent and disciplined horses that we have at present." The force said it will make a separate tent for the horse so that she can recuperate fast.
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