Nepal court convicts 19 in Himalayan Viagra case

A Nepalese court has found six men guilty of murdering seven rivals in a fight over "Himalayan Viagra," a rare caterpillar fungus that is highly prized as a aphrodisiac, BBC News reported.

The court has convicted 19 villagers over the murder.

According to AFP:

Seven farmers were killed in the remote northern district of Manang in June 2009 after going to forage for Yarsagumba, a rare parasitic plant that is a major source of income for many Himalayan communities.

The 19 men accused claimed that the farmers died accidentally after a fight broke out about who had the right to harvest it.

The plant is in particular demand in China, where a kilogram can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars.

Foraging for this fungus is a major source of income for poor Himalayan communities, BBC News reported.

According to News24, the court, which is a two day walk from the nearest road, was forced to delay the verdict more than a dozen times due to absent judges and lawyers.

Six men have been found guilty of murder, and a group of 13 others have been sentenced to two years in jail, Shamu Baral, a court registrar told AFP.