Uttarakhand Home Department has written to the district magistrate of Dehradun to withdraw case against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Ganesh Joshi who was booked for attacking police horse Shaktiman last year.

'(The) government has decided to withdraw the case in the public interest against Ganesh Joshi booked under various sections,' the letter by Additional Secretary (home) Ajay Rautela read.

The horse had lost its leg after it was brutally beaten during clashes between BJP protesters and the police on March 14 last year.

In a video that went viral, Joshi was purportedly seen charging towards the white horse during the protest in Dehradun.

Joshi, accused of assaulting 'Shaktiman', was arrested after national outrage over the incident.

'Shaktiman', who suffered multiple fractures on its hind leg, died on April 20 last year.

"Shaktiman was injured on March 14 after which we had to operate on him. He was later fitted with an artificial leg. But he was unable to fully recover from an infection," Senior Superintendent of Police Dehradun Sadanand Date had said then.

"The case is withdrawn. I thank Uttarakhand Chief Minister (Trivendra Singh Rawat). A CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe should be launched against (former CM) Harish Rawat in the case," Joshi said on Tuesday.  -- ANI, Agencies