Police arrested Adhikari along with seven others on July 8 and then sent them to Chitwan the same day. All of them were handed over to KDFO Sunday.[break]
A CNP official said the handing over was done as investigations revealed that a case could not be lodged against them. Either parks or district forest offices lodge complaints against individuals arrested for crimes against endangered species. The CNP had not been looking for Adhikari and no one has given statements against him.
In a situation like this, cases should have been lodged against Adhikari and the seven in the district where they were arrested. However, they were transferred to Chitwan.
Adhikari, who is a local-level leader of CPN-UML in Dhading, was arrested and released many times in the past on a variety of criminal charges, but he was always released owing to political connections.
Among the seven arrested with Adhikari is Dipak Hamal of Dhading, who is a section deputy commander the Maoist PLA.
Adhikari is said to have left for Kathmandu by plane, while the others were taken by bus. Police had arrested them for possessing 950 grams of rhino horn.
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