Pune: Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against three people who allegedly attacked and injured five trained racehorses kept in a stable at the racecourse in what investigators suspect was a deliberate attempt to keep them from competitions.The animals belong to different owners but are regular contenders at the races conducted by the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) in Pune and Mumbai.In his complaint filed recently, trainer Hormals Jamshed Antia said the horses were struck on their front knees with a blunt object that caused severe swelling but no fractures. He named Manoj Madhutek, a supervisor (jamadar) responsible for feeding the horses, along with Nirbhay Singh and Nausar Alam.Police said the attacks occurred repeatedly over a month and a half, with injuries surfacing every few days.Antia (63), who has been training racehorses for 28 years, told TOI on Thursday that the pattern of injuries left little doubt that they were deliberately targeted.“It began quietly with one horse after another showing swelling on the front legs every four or five days. At first, I didn’t think that much of it, but when five of them suffered the same injury within a few weeks, I figured it was done intentionally. It is as if someone struck them hard with a bamboo stick,” he said.Inspector Vijayraj Doke from Wanowrie police station said a case against the three was registered under section 325 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.Four of the five injured horses recently took part in the Indian Derby weekend that made them valuable, Antia said. “The supervisor was responsible for their daily care. I believe someone paid him off to cripple them so that they could be kept from competitions,” he said.He said x-ray reports did not show any fractures, but further tests and imaging confirmed that the blows caused massive soft tissue swelling that could sideline a horse for a month or more. “The animals are now recovering under veterinary care at RWITC,” the trainer said.Police officers said apart from finding out the reason behind the attacks, investigations are on to uncover the connections between Madhutek and the two others.Antia said he reported each incident to RWITC as it occurred, and after the fifth injury, he approached police. An internal inquiry is under way, a spokesperson for the turf club said.The incident has alarmed horse owners and animal welfare advocates, highlighting concerns over the safety of high-value racehorses and the need for tighter surveillance.(Inputs by Gitesh Shelke)
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