Arrest warrant issued against construction company owner for death of rhino

CHITWAN: JAN. 28 – An arrest warrant has been issued against the owner of a construction company in connection to the death of a rhino. A rhino was found dead in a roadside ditch on last Sunday in Chitwan.

The Chitwan National Park has issued the warrant against Sahadev Khadka, the owner of Sagun JV. Raju Ghimire has been assigned as an investigation officer to probe the matter, said the information officer at the Park, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari.

Last Sunday, a rhino was found dead in a ditch along the roadside. A five-member investigation team was formed in the convenorship of the deputy director-general of the Department of Forests, Dr Rajendra KC.

The team will submit its report within 10 days. The team has been consulting with the stakeholders in connection to the incident.

Khadka’s company was awarded contract to construct six-lane road from Pulchowk to Gondrang in Chitwan.

The Park accused the company for not abiding by the acts and rules to be followed while undertaking construction projects in wildlife corridors which led to the fateful dying of the rhino that are the treasures of the Park.

-RSS