April,20,2016:
Minister Maneka Gandhi said Shaktiman was actually a “Police officer on duty”
Maneka Gandhi, theUnion minister and animal rights activist has called for the arrest of all the persons who are responsible for the unfortunate death of a police horse named ‘Shaktiman’. She has also demanded that the animals should not be made part of State police forces.
The Minister said that she is deeply saddened by the death of ‘Shaktiman’. She termed it to be an extremely unfortunate incident. She stressed that Horses should no longer be allowed to be part of our police system.
It was during a BJP protest on March 14, that a group of BJP workers led by Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi who had allegedly attacked Shaktiman at a spot near to the state assembly. The horse had suffered a grievious injury on his leg after it was brutally beaten during clashes.
As the condition of the horse continued to deteriorate. Even while experts were called they were left with no other option than to amputate the hind left leg of the Horse.
The 13-year-old animal was also given a prosthetic leg and was being treated in the police lines. It was a well-trained Police horse and part of the Uttarakhand State's Mounted Police for years.
Minister Gandhi said Shaktiman was actually a “Police officer on duty” and all the persons found responsible for his death should be arrested and prosecuted for killing a “police officer on duty”.
Visibly disturber Minister said, “They (Horses) serve no purpose and in every crowd engagement they are at the mercy of any vicious persons(Crowd) who is too cowardly to do anything but injure the defenseless animal. ‘Shaktiman’ was a police officer on duty and all the persons who are responsible for putting him through so much pain and ultimately killed him should be arrested for killing a police officer,” she said.
The 14-year-old horse Shaktiman was purchased by Police for Rs 95,000 and inducted in UK police force on March 18, 2006. IE
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