'Police officer' Shaktiman fought till the end, says emotional caretaker

Dehradun: Shaktiman – the Uttarakhand Police horse – who succumbed to its injuries yesterday had not given up even after its hind leg was amputated and struggled till the end to survive, according to the grieving caretaker.

Shyam Singh Chauhan, the man who took care of the animal, said, "Shaktiman did not give up eating, he showed his will to fight back and survive till the end.''

Recalling the memories of the brave horse, a teary-eyed Chauhan said, ''We have lost a colleague, a member of our team."

"Even senior officers were visiting him to check on his recovery," he added.

Shaktiman, a majestic white horse, who joined the Uttarakhand Police nearly 10 years ago, suffered multiple fractures on its hind leg during a Bharatiya Janata Party and died yesterday.

BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi, who is accused of hitting the horse during the protest, has expressed his condolences, stating that he feels sad about it.

He, however, said the videos showing him hitting the horse are doctored.

Reacting to Shaktiman's death, 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.

A prosthetic leg was imported, but Shaktiman struggled with physiotherapy to get used to it. Shaktiman was buried last evening.