Got any whiff of my child? After Muharram’s Duldul horse stolen, Lucknow man offers Rs 50k reward; bought for Rs 4 lakh | Lucknow News

LUCKNOW: With no trace of the stolen Iranian-breed Duldul (Zuljanah) horse — which used to be the key attraction of Muharrum processions — its owner has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any information leading to the horse’s recovery.What began as a theft has now turned into an emotional ordeal for Syed Faizi Ali, who says the disappearance of the horse “feels no different from losing a child”.Since the early hours of Wednesday, when the horse was stolen from Talkatora-Rajajipuram Karbala area, Faizi Ali has barely eaten or slept. Family members say he has not taken a single proper meal and spends long hours sitting silently, repeatedly flipping through photo albums and videos of Duldul on his phone — memories from Muharram processions, Chehellum rituals, and quiet moments in the stable.“He (Faizi) keeps looking at the pictures, as if the horse might suddenly return. Every sound outside makes him stand up in hope,” a family member said.Faizi said he called the police more than 20 times in the last 30 hours, desperate for even the smallest lead. “I ask them just one thing – have you got any whiff of my child? Each time the answer is no, and my heart breaks all over again,” he said, struggling to hold back tears.Faizi had purchased the horse from a friend in Uttarakhand for Rs 4 lakh in July 2024. “The horse was just eight months old when I bought it. I fed it milk with my own hands and cared for it round-the-clock. The horse was not for show or money. It was a part of our faith and our home,” he said.“I kept a domestic help who used to look after Duldul,” said Faizi.The CCTV footage showed a thief cutting the stable lock and quietly leading the horse away, staying close behind to avoid being identified. Police suspect that more than one person was involved and believe a vehicle was waiting nearby to transport the animal. Only three Duldul-breed horses are believed to exist in Lucknow, making it rare and easily recognisable.“This is the time when horses are sold. Duldul can easily fetch Rs 10 lakh on a given day,” he said.Police teams are scanning CCTV footage from surrounding localities and analysing mobile data active at the time of the theft.Making an emotional appeal to the public, he said: “I don’t want to know who did it. I don’t want revenge. Please bring my child back home and take Rs 50,000 from me.”