Horse, owner hurt after bus hits cart

A 9-year-old horse and its owner were injured on Wednesday morning after a private bus rammed into their cart near Castle Mills in Rabodi, Thane.

A 9-year-old horse and its owner were injured on Wednesday morning after a private bus rammed into their cart near Castle Mills in Rabodi, Thane.

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The accident occurred at 11.30 am when Rabodi resident Hanif Sheikh, 42, was riding his horse cart to Castle Mills.

“I was on my way to buy food for my horse. We were riding along the side of the road and had crossed the Castle Mills bus stop. As we attempted to take a U-turn from a gap in a divider, a grey bus hit the cart from the rear and sped away. The cart and horse fell on the divider and I fell on top of them,” Sheikh said.

Both Sheikh and the horse were injured in the incident. Sheikh suffered minor injuries to his hands and legs.

The horse was taken to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) hospital on Ghodbunder Road in Thane.

“The horse cannot stand erect. It is possible that it suffered a fracture to its a backbone. There are also minor scratches on its body. We have kept it under observation,” said Dr Suhas Rane from the SPCA.

Police officials, however, are not convinced by Sheikh’s story.

“The owner has not provided any information about the private bus— its car plate number or the company’s name,” said assistant inspector Satish Ghotekar from the Rabodi police station.

Police believe the bus’s honking might have frightened the horse and it may have slipped.