U’khand minister acquitted in Shaktiman horse assault case due to lack of evidence

A court in Uttarakhand has acquitted cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi and four others accused of causing injuries to police horse Shaktiman during a clash between BJP protesters and the police here in 2016 due to lack of credible evidence.

The Uttarakhand Mounted Police horse had sustained injuries during the clashes following which one of its hind legs had to be amputated. It was treated and given a prosthetic leg but died of infection one month later.

Explained | Shaktiman is a rare horse, and there is more than one reason for it

Dehradun’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Lakshman Singh acquitted Joshi and four others on Thursday.

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Joshi and the four others were booked under different sections of the IPC besides section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act following the incident in March 2016.

On his acquittal in the case, Joshi said truth has finally won as he had all along been saying that he was innocent.