Shaktiman, after losing leg, loses life

Shaktiman, the police horse who was injured during a BJP protest in Uttarakhand, died on Wednesday evening.

The 13-year-old horse, whose leg had to be am-putated after the injury, was given a prosthetic leg brought from the US but he did not respond to it, the doctors said.

Shaktiman had spent the past few weeks at the police lines in Dehradun, where a group of policemen and doctors looked after him.

Sources said that the horse had almost stopped eating after the amputation and had become increasingly weak.

BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi, accused of instigating the brutal attack on the horse, was arrested and later released on bail.

He was charged with cruelty and maiming an animal. In visuals that horrified many across the country, the horse was seen taking multiple blows and dragging its broken, mangled hind limb.

Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat visited the injured animal and had ensured the best possible treatment.

A fortnight ago, pictures of Shaktiman with the prosthetic leg were published.