After the crime of killing a rare wild animal, one-horned rhinoceros and being involved in the trade of cannibalizing its organs, was confirmed, the prisoners in the prison escaped by hiding the opportunity of the Zen-ji movement, and there is concern over the protection of rhinos.

12 such prisoners escaped only from Bharatpur Jail in Chitwan. At least three more inmates of the rhinoceros case are on the run from other prisons, according to the information released by the Prisons Management Department on Sunday.

Past events have also confirmed that political instability poses a challenge to rare wildlife conservation. During the crisis period during the Maoist armed conflict, the park has the highest number of rhinos killed by poachers in a single year . Even after the 062/63 movement, the illegal poaching of rhinoceros in Chitwan National Park increased . Even now, the political situation in the country is very fluid. There is a history of rhinoceros being hunted during festivals like Dasain-Tihar.

At such a time, the challenge has been increased when the prisoners who have been sentenced for the crime of killing rhinoceros are absconding. Two rhinoceroses were found in Chitwan National Park on October 30, 2080, which had been killed in a ditch. Traffickers kill rhinoceroses for the horn-like thing on the nose of the rhinoceros. The two rhinoceroses were found without horns, so it was confirmed that they were killed by the traffickers . Since then, there has been no poaching of rhinos in the park. The planner involved in that incident is now absconding from prison.

Absconding for 11 years after the case was filed, then arrested and absconding again

In the list of fugitive prisoners released by the prison system department, the name of Windersinh Praja, also known as Sagar Praja, is at the beginning of the list of those who absconded from Chitwan. He is the person jailed in the rhinoceros case . But Sagar remained absconding for a long time after the case was filed. A case was filed against him in Chitwan National Park in December 2067 on charges of killing a rhinoceros. Nikunj imprisoned him in 2072. But he was caught, in June 2078 .

According to park officials, Sagar has been active in killing rhinos since 2061. On December 19, 2067, a case was filed against him on the charge of shooting and killing an adult male rhinoceros at Dhawaha Ratnighat within the park and selling the horn. Even though his permanent address was Saipam in the hilly area of ​​Chitwan, he did not stay in his old place and ran away and went hiding.

Around the first week of May 2078, Sagar was caught by the National Park team from Tanahun Beas Municipality-11 Ghasikuwa large square . A case was filed against 19 people including Sagar in Chitwan National Park on 27th of Chaitra 2067. Although Sagar was not arrested, the court decided the case on 30 June 2072. In which Sagar was imprisoned for 15 years and fined one lakh rupees. That was the maximum amount of imprisonment and fine at that time in the rhinoceros case . After the

, the law was amended and the imprisonment remained for 15 years, but the fine increased to 10 lakh rupees. Currently, the rhinoceros case is not in the park but in the court. In February 2074, the decision made by the National Park was also upheld by the then Court of Appeal, Hetaunda. The park was accused of killing five rhinos by Sagar. Sagar, who was caught 11 years after the case was registered and 6 years after the verdict, has absconded again after coming out of jail due to the Zen-ji movement.

New hunters and planners of rhino killing are also absconding

Even though they are still absconding, not only the old rhino hunters like Sagar, who were barely caught, but also the new rhino hunters and those who were involved in the plan to kill rhinoceros on the occasion of Gen-G movement escaped . They have also been sentenced to maximum imprisonment and fine.

Ramesh Khati of Hetaunda-3 Makwanpur, Aitsingh Moktan alias Pasang of Chitwan Rapti-11 Thakaltar and Indra Bahadur Tamang alias Syangbo of Madi Municipality-9 Bandarjhula of Chitwan are the persons who have been imprisoned for 15 years and fined 10 lakh rupees in the rhinoceros case. Currently, these three people are on the absconding list.

On 30th November 2080, two dead rhinoceros were found in Chaparchuli in the eastern area of ​​Chitwan Park. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police also investigated the incident along with the Chitwan Park and the army. All three of them are related to this incident. This is a team that builds a scaffold inside the park, sits safely in the hole and kills the rhinoceros and cuts the horn. It is mentioned in the press release issued by Nikunj at that time that Ramesh Khati was the main planner of the incident.

Similarly, Aitsingh Moktan and Indra Bahadur Tamang called Syangbo were said to have killed the rhinoceros. They were arrested two years ago in November 2080. Information officer Chetanath Dhungana said that there are 46 prisoners and detainees in Chitwan Bharatpur Jail, including two detainees in the rhinoceros case. According to the information issued by the

department, 12 of the prisoners who were released from the prison have not been contacted. Along with Sagar, Khati, Moktan and Tamang, Karan Praja called Karan Muktan is also an absconding prisoner who received a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of one lakh rupees.

One who was imprisoned for five years, two who were imprisoned for seven years, two who were imprisoned for eight years, two who were imprisoned for 10 years are also absconding from Bharatpur Jail in the rhinoceros case. Thus, conservationists are concerned when prisoners who have received minimum to maximum sentences escape from prisons. Not only from Bharatpur, but also three prisoners of the rhinoceros case, Arjunsen Thakuri of Rolpa, Sitaram Thing of Makwanpur Kankada and Bishnu Bahadur Karki Chhetri of Hetounda have also absconded.

If the administration and the community do not cooperate, the challenge will increase. He said that the community should be vigilant and the security agencies should be active. There is talk of three pillars in conservation. The park administration is one pillar and the guarding army is the other pillar . The third pillar is local," said Dhungana.

Dhungana, who is also the former chairman of Chitwan Park's Mrigakunj Intermediate Consumer Committee, said that it is necessary for everyone to become aware at this time. "From the media world to the private sector, from political parties to unions, we had to wake up," he said.

conservationist Doma Poudel also believes that it is necessary to spread awareness in the community immediately. Sourahaki Doma, who has been active for 14 years in the campaign to mobilize the youth against poaching, says . We have faith in the army and the administration. But the community should also wake up at this time," she said, "At this time, the intermediate committees of Chitwan Park are mostly leaderless. Out of 22 committees, only seven have been newly formed. This is also a kind of challenge for conservation.'

Premshankar Mardaniya Tharu, former president of Nawalparasi Amaltari Intermediate Consumer Committee, said that because the park's intermediate forest committees are still active, there is no problem in coordination. This is a very sensitive time. Prisoners have escaped, weapons have been stolen. This is the time when crime increases in the society and wildlife is also threatened. So conservationists should be vigilant. We have understood this and made a plan," he said.