People at Piple in Khadbari-12 have recently shaved the head of a man on the charge of stealing a Rudrakshya bead in Sankhuwasabha.

They accused Phadindra Bhujel of Khadbari-12 of stealing the 12-faced Rudrakshya bead from the farmland of his neighbour Chitra Bahadur Katuwal.

Locals said Bhujel pocketed bead, which costs around Rs 12,000, and ran away.

“They seized Rudrakshya from a pocket of Bhujel and smeared soot on his face. He was handed over to police,” said DSP Krishna Hari Sharma, adding that they will initiate legal action after investigation.

Meanwhile, a meeting of local people decided to charge Rs 10, 000 to anyone who looks at Rudraksha trees with bad intention. They also decided to charge Rs 30,000 for climbing a tree, Rs 20,000 for going near a tree with a catapult and Rs 15,000 for picking fallen Rudraksha beads.

Farmers in the area sell Rudraksha beads for additional income. A local trader said farmers earn millions of rupees selling the previous beads. He said sometimes a single bead is sold for as much as Rs 5 million.

Buyers these days purchase beads from Rudraksha trees itself as the demand for five-faced and six-faced beads is on the rise in India and China.

Similarly, locals at Dhupu-5 in the district are also started punishing people who go near Rudraksha trees. Hari Prasad Bhandari, a local, said they impose strict rules for the security of beads as the trees start flowering. Farmers in eastern districts such as Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha pick Rudraksha beads within September.