The Hetauda bench of Patan High Court has sentenced 10 rhino poachers up to 15 years in prison.

The division bench of Judge Shivaraj Adhikari and Judge Dhrubaraj Nanda on Wednesday handed down the jail sentence of 15 years to Ram Sharan BK and 14 years to Santa Bahadur Chepang after convicting them of poaching an endangered one-horned rhino inside the Chitwan National Park in 2011.

The court also slapped prison term of 5 to 8 years to seven others involved in the incident. One Shukra Bahadur Tamang was acquitted. 

In another rhino poaching incident, the court on Tuesday had also jailed one Ramesh Tamang for 14 years. Three suspects were acquitted.