6 days ago
How 57 racing horses from Hyderabad ended up in Jabalpur, prompting M.P. govt probe
In the first week of May, 57 racing horses arrived at a private farm in the Raipura village of Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur from Hyderabad in Telangana.
Over the course of three weeks, eight of them have died, prompting the Jabalpur authorities to launch an investigation into the deaths after various animal rights activists hurled allegations regarding the treatment of the animals and their 'hasty, overnight' transfer.
The remaining 49 horses continue to remain at Sachin Tiwari's farm in Raipura, while a team of government veterinarians visits the farm everyday for their medical checkups and treatment.
The Jabalpur district administration has launched a full-fledged investigation into multiple aspects of the matter, including the suspicious deaths and other allegations such as poor treatment, malnourishment of the horses.
On May 23, a petition was also filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court by a Jabalpur-based animal rights activist, seeking the court's immediate intervention to protect the horses and give better treatment to them, access for animal rights bodies to the horses for medical care, and a probe into the 'illegal' transportation in trucks from Hyderabad to one Sachin Tiwari's farm in Raipura.
The plea, filed by Simran Issar, claims that the horses had been sent to Jabalpur by Hyderabad-based Horse Power Sports League managing director Suresh Paladugu and seeks an investigation against him and Mr. Tiwari. It also claims that there were 154 horses in Mr. Paladagu's custody in Hyderabad and that whereabouts and the condition of about 100 of them are unknown.
Health condition
Speaking to The Hindu, Jabalpur Collector Deepak Saxena said that the matter came to his attention after he received a call from former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and that a team of veterinarians, including from the Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur, was immediately deployed to inspect the horses.
'We got the horses traced by the local police and sent a medical team. Some of the horses were found to be ill so we started their treatment,' he said, adding that eight horses have died so far.
Mr. Saxena said that the symptoms had raised the suspicions of the horses being infected with Glanders, a rare zoonotic disease, and samples were sent to the National Research Centre of Equines, Hisar, Haryana, earlier this month.
'During this period, we isolated the horse and restricted the entry of anyone other than the medical team,' Mr. Saxena said, adding that reports received on May 23 have ruled out the possibility of Glanders.
'All the horses are now in a stable condition and vets are regularly visiting the farm. Now that the infectious disease is ruled out, we are taking up other aspects of the case,' he said.
'We have contacted the Hyderabad police over the matter. We are also checking the documentations for the transfer of horses as it appears that Sachin Tiwari got the horses to take care of them through an agreement,' he added.
How the matter came to fore
On April 24, Lavanya Shekhawat, a Jaipur-based polo player, gave a complaint to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, India, after she got information and pictures of horses kept at the Hyderabad Race Club in 'poor conditions'. She sought the body's intervention into the matter and rescue of animals.
Ever since, various activists, horse breeders and trainers, and racing enthusiasts have been making various allegations against Mr. Paladagu and Mr. Tiwari.
Tegbir Singh Brar, a council member of the National Horse Breeding Society of India, says that Ms. Shekhawat's complaint alerted the people in Hyderabad and prompted the transportation.
'Mr. Paladagu was conducting two-horse races at the Club and used to keep the horses in the premises only. We don't know what happened exactly [after Ms. Shekhawat's complaint] but the horses were transferred to Jabalpur around May 1 in a haste,' he said.
Ms. Issar also alleged that while a group of activists did visit Mr. Tiwari's farm to insect the condition of the horses shortly after their arrival, Mr. Tiwari has not allowed them in ever since.
'The racing fraternity has been quite helpful in the matter, but he is not even allowing a truckload of medical and food supplies sent by the National Horse Breeding Society of India, Pune,' she said, speaking to The Hindu, adding that a veterinarian.
The plea also refutes the administration's claims that the animals are now stable and alleges that 12 horses have wounds and skin infections while six of them are in 'critical condition' with wounds infested with maggots and suspected lung infection among other problems.
Ms. Issar said that she has already also approached various authorities in Jabalpur, including giving a complaint at Panaghar police station but alleges that 'nobody took active interest' in the matter, forcing her to move court.
Mr. Brar also said, 'Many like me are involved with this matter and all we want to do is ensure that the horses are looked after properly. We have no other interests here.'
The petition also alleges that Mr. Paladagu had stopped paying wages to his staff since February, leaving the horses 'neglected and without care'.
Did not treat horses poorly: Sachin Paladugu
Speaking to The Hindu over the phone, Mr. Paladugu disassociated himself from the horses and their treatment and stressed that the HPSL was only involved with stratagising and conducting the races with the new two-horse format.
'I am a technologist and content creator. They are owned by another company, HithaNet [India Pvt Ltd.] and they were responsible for their care. I am not associated with them but as far as I am aware, they also did not treat the horses poorly or starve them. It's also not possible as the HithaNet had rented some space within the Club to keep the horses,' he said.
Mr. Paladugu said that the two-format races were started in late 2023 and discontinued in February, 2025.
'After the discontinuation, we informed HithaNet who owned the horses, and the Club where races were held. My name has been raked up wrongfully with all these allegations,' he added.
Disease is transferable to humans: Sachin Tiwari
Mr. Tiwari, however, refuted the allegations and claimed that all the horses died of 'natural causes'.
'Soon after the horses arrived here, I alerted the local veterinary department. Everything has been done under their supervision ever since. Some horses were also very old and ill when they came from Hyderabad,' he said, adding that the horses were sent to him as costing and weather conditions were making their care difficult in Hyderabad.
'I had plans of starting a stud farm earlier but there is no business involved in this matter,' he added.
He also said that the entry restrictions were also imposed on the administration's directions due to the fears of Glanders disease.
'The administration does want to risk anything as the disease is transferrable to humans too. Two more horses showed symptoms recently, so samples have been sent again,' he said.
