14 rhino poachers get jail terms

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday sentenced five rhino poachers to 10 years in jail. A division bench of Justices Sushila Karki and Baidyanath Upadhyaya upheld the Hetauda Appellate Court´s verdict issued on July 14, 2008. The apex court convicted Sher Bahadur Ghalan, Shanta Bahadur Tamang, Suman Tamang, Jeet Bahadur Tamang and Hasta Bahadur Tamang of rhino poaching.



 The poachers had killed a rhino at Chitwan National Park on April 12, 2005. The court also slapped a five-year jail term on Indra Bahadur Ghalan, Aaitaram Bote, Harka Bahadur Khulal, Baldev Chaudhary, Rana Bahadur Kumal, Rajesh Ghale, Pemba Lama, Purna Bahadur Gurung and Man Bahadur Syang for their involvement in smuggling of rhino horn. The poachers had sold a rhino horn for Rs 300,003 to Karma Gurung in Kathmandu. Earlier, the Chitwan National Park had convicted all 14 of of rhino poaching on January 14, 2008.

Related story

Challenging Zero-Poaching campaign poachers kill rhino in CNP