'Tilak took his last breath in my arms': Delhi cop bids farewell to beloved stallion on his 31st birthday

On the morning of June 14, Constable Atul received a call from a colleague at Delhi's Mounted Police Unit.

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His seven-year-old stallion, Tilak — who had won a medal at a national sports meet earlier this year — was unwell. Atul, who was at home at the time, rushed to the unit — and found Tilak in pain, kicking his legs. These were signs of an abdominal condition called colic, usually caused by problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Atul and other officials from the unit rushed Tilak to a veterinary hospital near Tis Hazari Court for immediate medical attention. The next day, following an initial round of treatment, doctors referred the stallion to the District Veterinary Hospital in Hisar. Tilak underwent surgery there, but did not survive. It was in the early hours of Tuesday (June 17) when Tilak took his last breath. “The doctors had asked me to help him walk a few steps, but he soon collapsed. A few minutes later, the doctors said Tilak was dead,” Atul told T