Shaktiman Fought Till The End, Says The Brave Horse's Grieving Caretaker

Dehradun: Shaktiman, the police horse in Uttarakhand who died from injuries caused in a political rally, fought till the end - "He did not give up eating, he showed his will to fight back and survive," said his caretaker, Shyam Singh Chauhan.

Shaktiman, a majestic white horse, joined the police force 10 years ago. In March this year, his hind leg was crippled in beatings by participants at a BJP rally. Ganesh Joshi, a BJP legislator, has said videos showing he struck the horse are doctored, but he was arrested last month and then released on bail.

Shaktiman died yesterday in the same stall where he had been housed as a member of the police force. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, a prominent national activist, said that the person responsible for his death must be arrested.

The pictures of Shaktiman being assaulted with a baton turned him into a national concern, with thousands of people discussing his condition and chances of recovery on social media. Harish Rawat, then Chief Minister of the hill state, said the best medical assistance was on offer for the horse. A prosthetic leg was imported, but Shaktiman struggled with physiotherapy to get used to it.
 Mr Rawat, who is fighting a legal case to be reinstated as Chief Minister, visited Shaktiman yesterday. So did Mr Joshi, who repeated that he is not guilty of assaulting the horse. He also said Shaktiman had been "used by the Congress in a conspiracy", an allegation he has made earlier to suggest the administration was denying the horse medical attention to ensure the BJP would be embarrassed by his deteriorating condition.

The petty politics add to the charged atmosphere where Shaktiman was buried last evening.

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"We have lost a colleague, a member of our team," said his emotional caretaker. "Even senior officers were visiting him to check on his recovery."