Assault on 'Shaktiman': Court rejects BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi's bail plea

Dehradun: A local court here on Saturday rejected the bail plea of BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi, accused of assaulting a police horse 'Shaktiman' during a protest march in the state. The leader's insensitive act lead to the amputaion of one of the hind legs of the poor animal.

Joshi's bail application was rejected by Judicial Magistrate Akram Ali, Defence Counsel RS Raghav said. Booked initially under Cruelty to Animals Act, several non-bailable sections of IPC were also slapped against the BJP MLA from Mussuorie in the course of investigations, he said. Non-bailable offences which Joshi has been charged with include stopping government officials from discharging their duties, he said.

Joshi was arrested yesterday and sent to 14-day judicial custody by the apex court for allegedly assaulting and causing injuries to the police horse. Another party worker Pramod Bora was also arrested from Haldwani in Nainital district regarding the same case.

SSP Sadanad Date had said Bora along with Joshi was responsible for precipitating the fall of the police horse during the protest march which caused multiple fractures in its left hind leg.

Shaktiman's injured leg had to be amputated by a team of doctors on Thursday to save him from infection. He can now stand with the help of a prosthetic leg.

However, doctors attending on Shaktiman said it will have to be seen whether the prop is strong enough to support the horse which weighs around 400 kgs.

Expert veterinary doctor from Mumbai Feroze Khambatta, who led a team of doctors to amputate Shaktiman's leg, said he had performed eight similar operations in Nepal and Bhutan but those horses weighed around 200 kgs.

As Shaktiman weighs 400 kgs it is not clear for how long he can stand and move with an artificial leg, he said, adding the horse is under constant watch of doctors and over two dozen police personnel at the police lines.

(With Agency inputs)