The Madhya Pradesh government has launched an investigation into the mysterious deaths of eight high-value racehorses — belonging to heritage breeds — that were recently transported from Hyderabad to Raipura village in Jabalpur district.
Jabalpur Collector Deepak Saxena ordered the probe after the local veterinary department responded to reports of multiple horse deaths at a private farm in Raipura. Officials are now examining allegations that a total of 57 horses were transferred from to Madhya Pradesh without the required veterinary documentation.
Authorities are investigating claims that “around 57 horses were covertly moved between 29 April and 3 May” by a local resident, Sachin Tiwari, in collaboration with a businessman based in Hyderabad. Among the breeds transported were Marwari and Thoroughbred horses.
The Marwari, native to Rajasthan, is distinguished by its inward-curving ears and known for being a hardy riding horse with a natural ambling gait. Thoroughbreds, originally bred in England, are globally renowned for their speed, agility and racing prowess. Marwari horses are often crossed with Thoroughbreds to produce a larger horse with more versatility.
According to Prafulla Moon, deputy director of the state veterinary department, four teams were deployed after officials located the horses.
“The horses were transported in a hot atmosphere from Hyderabad. The horses began falling sick due to stress. In total, eight horses have died. We have sent blood samples of 57 horses to a lab in Haryana. The reports of 44 horses have come negative for any infectious disease,” Moon said.
Preliminary findings suggest that the animals were housed in inadequate conditions—a cramped cattle shed with insufficient shade and limited space to move.
Following public outcry, the National Horse Breeding Society of India dispatched a truck carrying medical supplies to the farm. However, farm owner Sachin Tiwari allegedly barred the vehicle from entering the premises. In response, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which is expected to hear the matter in the coming days.
The PIL, filed by Jabalpur-based animal rights activist Simran Issar through her advocate Umesh Tripathi, seeks urgent court intervention to “protect the life of 49 horses” still held at the facility. The petition describes the animals being kept in open fields during a heatwave without adequate access to water, sanitation, or shelter.
The petition further claims that one of the respondents—a Hyderabad-based businessman—is the “kingpin behind sponsoring all big horsing races in the country, with online betting ventures exclusively for the Philippines”. According to the PIL: “At the peak of this horse racing venture, they have 154 horses for racing. They had 24 horse races everyday according to Manager for these horse races… This horse racing, which is illegal in India, was streamed on an app in the Philippines.”
The petition also asserts that the operation fell into neglect after staff salaries were allegedly not paid, leaving “154 horses without food and water”.
“That, in the first week of February, 2025, out of 154 horses only 64 horses were left…That, these remaining horses were loaded on truck and were sent to Jabalpur from Hyderabad in the command and control of Sachin Tiwari,” the PIL stated.
