Nepal's notorious poacher held in India

June 15, 2006

Wednesday June 14

Indo Asian News Service

Haldwani (Nainital), June 14 (IANS)

A Nepali poacher who managed to escape to India after being sentenced to

15-year imprisonment by a court in Nepal has been arrested by wildlife

officials in Uttaranchal.

Nepali poacher Mangal Mahato, who was in the hiding in a rented house at

Khatima town in Pithoragarh district, situated on the Uttaranchal-Nepal

border, was taken into custody Monday.

His arrest was kept under wraps until state chief wildlife conservator S.K.

Chandola made a formal announcement about the 'big catch' Tuesday.

'Mahato was wanted in connection with several major cases of poaching in

Nepal,' Chandola, who came here from the state capital Dehradun, told IANS.

He added that although Mahato's involvement in poaching in India was still

being probed, 'there are reasons to believe that he has links with India's

most notorious poacher Sansar Chand'.

He lauded his local range officer Babu Lal for laying the trap to get the

poacher who had been eluding wildlife officials on both sides of the border.

'Acting on a tip off by his Nepali counterparts, Lal cornered him and

managed to catch him unaware.'

The officials recovered an unlicensed .315 bore rifle and some ammunition

from Mahato.

'He was alone at the time but interrogations have given us vital clues about

his links on this side of the border and we should be able to nab the others

soon,' Chandola said.

Originally an employee of the wildlife department of Nepal, Mahato was

arrested in Nepal in 2002 on charges of poaching while he was posted as a

forest guard at the Chitwan National Park, famous for its Rhinos. After

being sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, he escaped from police custody.

The highly porous Indo-Nepal border helped Mahato in his clandestine

activities and to easily switch sides between India and Nepal, officials

said.

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