Dublin [Ireland], June 14: The daughter of the Aga Khan, the co-owner of stolen racehorse Shergar, has revealed the animal was killed "in an awful way" in 1983 and a ransom was never paid to avoid the prospect of the money getting into the wrong hands.
Mystery has surrounded the theft of the thoroughbred, which was taken from the Ballymany Stud farm in County Kildare, Ireland with a ransom of around $3 million demanded for its safe return.
At the time, militant Irish republicans the IRA were the main suspects behind the kidnapping, which involved six armed men.
Princess Zahra Aga Khan has now described how the ransom was not paid out of fear the money would be "used against human beings", and revealed the 1981 English Derby-winning horse had not been insured against kidnap.
She told Telegraph Sport on Saturday: "We now know the horse was killed within two days (of being taken). They did so in an awful way."
She explained that her late father, the 49th imam and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, had not been able to pay the ransom alone because Shergar was owned by a syndicate and they all needed to agree.
Princess Zahra, who was aged 12 at the time, said: "Dad was so upset, there was great disbelief.
"People didn't understand the horse was syndicated and the ransom demand was only for 10% of his stud value.
"I remember Dad saying over and over, not only was the horse not insured against kidnapping - because who the hell was going to think of kidnapping a horse? - but because the horse was syndicated he couldn't get everyone to agree on what to do.
"He also argued that even if he could pay the ransom, he couldn't do so if (the money) was going to be used against human beings." Shergar's remains have never been found and no one has ever officially admitted responsibility for the theft.
The Aga Khan died aged 88 in 2025.
Source: Qatar Tribune