Thirteen Police Officers Disciplined for Concealing Wildlife Evidence in Kailali

Dhangadhi. The Provincial Police Office has taken 'action' regarding the incident where the Area Police Office Malakheti in Kailali allegedly concealed evidence to protect criminals. Thirteen police officers have been disciplined on charges of attempting to cover up the case by hiding wildlife parts and illegal weapons recovered by the police inside the office drawers.

This incident occurred in the middle of the night on Shrawan 9. A joint team of the Area Police Office Malakheti and local police arrested two young men with wildlife parts and a weapon in Godawari Municipality-8, Kailali. The arrested individuals were Chandra Bahadur Chaudhary and Rajkumar Chaudhary.

The police recovered a muzzle-loading gun, and what appeared to be deer antlers and hooves from their possession.

Although strict action should have been taken against them under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, the official record prepared by the police only mentioned the recovery of the muzzle-loading gun. The record made no mention of the wildlife antlers and hooves.

Instead of filing a case related to wildlife, a case concerning only 'Arms and Ammunition' was registered against them. For some time after the incident, this matter remained secret. However, this misconduct within the police force could not remain hidden for long. After a few months, a complaint was filed at the Police Headquarters.

The complaint specifically leveled serious allegations against the Head of the Case Section at the Area Police Office, Police Inspector Dansingh Bhandari. The complaint claimed that Bhandari not only hid the wildlife antlers and hooves but was also involved in numerous other irregularities.

Following the directive of the Police Headquarters, the Sudurpashchim Provincial Police Office initiated an investigation. Initially, the responsibility for the investigation was given to the head of the Area Police Office Malakheti, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ran Bahadur Chand.

DSP Chand submitted a clean report claiming no flaws in the investigation, defending his subordinate officers. Subsequently, the complainant filed a second complaint alleging that DSP Chand himself was trying to protect the Inspector.

This time, a new investigation committee was formed under the leadership of DSP Nishant Shrivastava. When the new investigation team searched the Malakheti office, they reportedly found astonishing facts.

The investigation team found the antlers and hooves, which were omitted from the official record, hidden inside an office drawer. Following the report from the investigation committee after that incident, 13 police personnel have now been disciplined.

DSP Ran Bahadur Chand, Inspector Dansingh Bhandari, and Senior Sub-Inspector Dipendra Bhatta, who should bear the main responsibility for the incident, were given a reprimand as departmental action, which will be recorded in their service files. Receiving a reprimand means a setback in promotions and other opportunities in police service.

Ten other police personnel involved in the incident were also issued a warning that will be recorded in their files. According to Police Regulation 2071, this record of misconduct will remain in their service files.