Saliya Salim Shaikh (5) of Bhavani Peth had gone out of her home to watch the procession on Monday. The horse got scared by the sound of crackers, became restless and kicked the girl in the head.

The police said the Balaji Mandir Trust had taken out the procession without permission for the horses, elephants and camels they used, a claim denied by the organisers. “We have been organising the Ratha Saptami Mahotsav for years. We took permission; four cops walked with us,” said Jaya Kirad, president of the trust.

The police insisted that permission was taken only for the procession, not the animals, and booked Kirad and the horse rider under sections 285, 289 and 304 (a) of the IPC.