Police have arrested four people in possession of leopard hide at Baddichaur of Barahatal Rural Municipality-5 in Surkhet district. The arrested are Kamal Shahi, 35, Chakra Bahadur Shahi, 22, and Opendra Shah, 21, of Achham district and Bimal Shahi, 35, of Dailekh district.

Acting on a tip off, a joint team of police personnel from District Police Office, Surkhet, and Karnali Province Police Office held them from a hotel’s room for possessing three pieces of leopard skin, Superintendent of Police (SP) and Spokesperson of Karnali Province Police Office Madhav Prasad Shrestha said. Police made public those arrested ones by organising a news conference here Sunday.

Likewise, police recovered a bank cheque and Rs 27,000 in cash from the alleged ones. According to police, all the four have been sent to the Division Forest Office, Birendranagar, for further investigation and legal process.