19 Nepalese villagers convicted over 'Himalayan Viagra' murders

19 Nepalese villagers convicted over 'Himalayan Viagra' murders

2011-11-16 13:39:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

KATHMANDU (BNO NEWS) -- A Nepalese court on Tuesday convicted nineteen people for killing seven farmers in 2009 during a fight over a highly prized aphrodisiac plant in the country's northern Manang district, media reports said.

The seven farmers from Kairoja village were killed in the remote Manang district in June 2009 as they were going to collect Yarcha-Gumba, a rare mountainous herb which is used to treat sexual dysfunction in men. The so-called "Himalayan Viagra" is a major source of income for many Himalayan communities.

The Press Trust of India reported on Wednesday that the Manang District Court sentenced six of the accused to 20 years in prison for being directly involved in the murder case. Thirteen other villagers received two years imprisonment for their part in the murders.

Yarcha-Gumba collection is the main source of income for poor Himalayan communities. Just a kilogram (2.2 pounds) sold in Kathmandu can fetch some 50,000 Nepalese rupees ($620).

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