A man who was held on charge of poaching has committed suicide in police custody.

Sher Bahadur Lama, 57, a key middleman involved in illegal trade of tiger skin and body parts in Nepal and India, hanged himself to death on Saturday morning, hours after he was arrested and kept in detention by officials at Bardia National Park (BNP).  

According to police, Lama, who hails from Bargaun village of Humla district, was on the run for over a year after police established his involvement in killing and trade of tiger skin and body parts.

A team of Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police had arrested Lama from Ranjha chowk in Nepalgunj on Friday night. He was then taken to the head office of the BNP in Thakurdwara for further investigation. 

“We started interrogation soon after he was brought here. When we informed him about the charges and evidence against him about his involvement in killing and illegal trade of tiger in Nepal and India, he looked petrified,” said DSP Prabin Pokhrel. 

“Lama was in the wanted list in both Nepal and India,” Pokhrel added, referring to Lama’s involvement in killing tigers in Bardia and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in India. 

Lama’s body has been sent to Gulariya District Hospital for post-mortem.