KATHMANDU: Amid mounting accusations and evidence, Maoist Center Vice Chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara and his son Rahul stand unwavering, denying all ties to a daring one-quintal gold smuggling saga.

The ruling party, the Maoist Center, finds itself in a quandary as its Vice Chairman Mahara and his son have been accused of maintaining close connections with Chinese smugglers and being implicated in the one-quintal gold smuggling case.

Reports suggest numerous phone conversations have taken place between Krishna Mahara and his son Rahul, indicating consistent interaction with several key individuals in the primary tier of the operation. This contact appears to provide substantial grounds for initiating a formal investigation.

Rahul, meanwhile, contended that these repeated, unverified allegations are an unjust form of character assassination, aiming to taint their political reputation through accusations that remain unconfirmed and are still under police investigation.

He further asserted that the media’s pursuit of confirmation through continual accusations regarding unverified matters is erroneous and misleading.

Even though the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has revealed substantial connections between Mahara and his son with the gold smuggling group, no formal investigation has been initiated against them.

Following the publication of news reports highlighting the connections between Krishna Bahadur, Rahul, and the Chinese nationals involved in the gold concealment within Vape products, the subsequent police investigation revealed a relationship that went beyond casual, extending into an intimate bond between them.

Even though the CIB’s investigation revealed multiple phone contacts, no general statement was taken from them, seemingly granting them immunity.

Despite the clear grounds for investigating both individuals, doubts have arisen about the government’s impartiality in the gold smuggling investigation due to their exclusion from scrutiny.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who is also the Prime Minister, has consistently emphasized his dedication to taking stringent action against anyone implicated in the gold smuggling case, regardless of their status or position.

In response to growing apprehensions regarding the alleged involvement of Mahara and his family members, PM Dahal reportedly stated, “Even if my own name comes up during the course of the investigation, I am fully prepared to accept the consequences, including being apprehended and subjected to confinement.”

Under mounting pressure, Maoist leaders asked Mahara to share information about the smuggling. Consequently, Mahara, who is also a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, expressed willingness to provide a statement to the bureau.

It’s worth noting that the CIB possesses the authority to expeditiously summon both Mahara and his son to their offices for an inquiry regarding their links to the Chinese individuals implicated in gold smuggling, as well as their alleged involvement in the concealed gold stash within vape products.

However, the Bureau appears uninterested in pursuing this course of action.

The party could instruct Mahara to cooperate with the investigation, but the leadership’s actions seem to prioritize making requests during meetings and offering support in private discussions rather than taking proactive investigative measures.

Last week, Prime Minister Dahal refrained from confirming an investigation and stood firm in his support, expressing allegiance not only to his party but also to his family members.

The names of Krishna Bahadur Mahara and his son are inseparably linked not only to the smuggling of 9 kilograms of gold but also substantiated by the police’s suggested opinion and the indictment filed in the Kathmandu District Court.

However, Dahal seemed to have worked to divert attention from the involvement of top party leaders in gold smuggling by employing emotional arguments.

During the party’s Bagmati Province Committee meeting last Monday, Dahal stated that he would willingly submit to arrest if his name were associated with gold smuggling.

What holds even greater significance is that both Krishna Bahadur and his son, Rahul, have openly admitted their associations with the Chinese individuals.

However, they are asserting that their reputation is being tarnished solely due to their connections with individuals involved in smuggling.

As said earlier, Rahul, on Monday, turned to social media to voice his anguish and vehemently protest against the recurrent allegations circulating in various media sources.

Beyond mere verbal assertions, the weighty importance of phone communication, deemed irrefutable evidence in criminal investigations, seems to establish a strong connection between them.

He maintained that these “repeated, unverified allegations amount to an unfair type of character assassination, designed to blemish his political standing by leveling accusations that are yet to be confirmed and remain subject to ongoing police inquiry.”

Rahul firmly stated that the media’s pursuit of validation through continuous accusations concerning unverified issues is “incorrect and misleading”.

He argued that it is unjust to brand someone as involved in criminal actions solely based on their associations with others, especially when these interactions are frequent.

Following the publication of news reports highlighting the connections between Krishna Bahadur, Rahul, and the Chinese nationals involved in the gold concealment within vape products, the subsequent police investigation revealed a relationship that went beyond casual, extending into an intimate bond between them.

Taking into account the police’s suggested viewpoint and the evidence documented in the case dossier, it becomes apparent that the associations of Krishna Mahara and Rahul with the suspected orchestrators of the gold smuggling operation surpass mere political or personal connections.

The intimacy of Mahara’s association with Chinese nationals Wang and Li becomes evident. It has been confirmed that Mahara engaged in 11 conversations on mobile phones with Li, while Wang also had involvement in 11 discussions with Mahara.

To emphasize, a considerable number of phone conversations have occurred between them, signifying ongoing communication with multiple pivotal figures in the core tier of the operation.

This consistent contact seems to establish substantial justification for commencing a comprehensive investigation.

Beyond mere verbal assertions, the weighty importance of phone communication, deemed irrefutable evidence in criminal investigations, seems to establish a strong connection between them.

However, the nature and frequency of the interactions between Mahara’s father and son and various individuals appear to directly involve Li, a Chinese national implicated in the gold smuggling ring, particularly in relation to the release of the confiscated vape from Tribhuvan Airport Customs Office.

Interestingly, Mahara’s absence from the list of defendants in the investigation report is puzzling.

On December 25, 2022, a Chinese passenger named Li arrived in Nepal via a Fly Dubai flight (FZ-0587), carrying a substantial quantity of gold covertly concealed within e-cigarettes (vapes) within his luggage.

Customs officials confiscated the gold found in the e-cigarettes and permitted Li to depart.

Subsequent inquiries revealed that Li had interactions with Mahara and Rahul.

Li left Nepal within a mere three days, rendering immediate questioning of junior Mahara by the police impractical.

Notably, nearly nine kilograms of gold, transported using e-cigarettes for illicit purposes, mysteriously disappeared from the Tribhuvan International Airport with the alleged involvement of non-gazetted officer Rewant Khadka and customs agent Dinesh Basnet.

The intimacy of Mahara’s association with Chinese nationals Wang and Li becomes evident. It has been confirmed that Mahara engaged in 11 conversations on mobile phones with Li, while Wang also had involvement in 11 discussions with Mahara.

There appears to be no documented communication between Mahara and the other individuals implicated in the case.

Rahul, meanwhile, doesn’t appear to have a connection with Chinese national Li; rather, his affiliation seems to be with Wang.

The communication between Wang and Rahul has occurred not just a few times, but a total of 64 instances.

Furthermore, Rahul and Lokendra Paudel, who is implicated as a planner in the gold smuggling operation, have engaged in 36 conversations.

Meanwhile, records indicate there were 28 phone exchanges between the father and son.

Despite the lack of investigation into the interactions of Krishna Mahara and Rahul with the group engaged in smuggling nine kilos of gold concealed within electronic cigarettes, an official from the CIB justified their exclusion from the inquiry by highlighting the absence of substantial evidence.

Nevertheless, documents indicate that Mahara played a role in assisting not only his father and son but also a key figure within the gang. CIB officials contend that mere contact is inadequate for raising suspicions.

The evidence, comprising the charge sheet and statements presented to the Kathmandu District Court by the CIB, unambiguously positions Mahara’s father and son as second-tier participants in the 9-kilogram gold smuggling scheme.

The majority of individuals within the first circle have had their names and addresses disclosed.

By mentioning their names, it became evident that Mahara’s father and son were granted immunity.

In District Attorney Bashudev Sharma’s indictment, it is stated that “for those who have yet to disclose their names, surnames, and hometowns, supplementary allegations will be submitted as per the Prevention of Organized Crime Act.”

Furthermore, Nanda Kumar Magar, mentioned in the indictment’s “other matters to be disclosed” section, has been arrested after independent evidence confirmed his association with an organized group.

However, individuals such as Bishwaram Khadka, Bandhan Khambu Kirat, and Sachin Pawar are still under investigation.

The CIB has already gathered details and mobile numbers of five individuals from this list, making their identification straightforward.

However, even for those whose identities were disclosed, their names were curiously omitted from the charge sheet. This glaring omission indicates a serious flaw in the investigation process.

Notably, a staggering 651 phone calls seem to have occurred between Wang and Lokendra Paudel, who maintains a connection with Rahul.

Furthermore, Shyam Shah made 52 calls to Li and 54 to Khuwa Prasad Neupane.

Chinese national Li, regarded as the central figure in the gold smuggling ring, and Lokendra appeared to have conversed thrice, while Shyam contacted Lokendra 90 times. Lokendra also made 135 calls to Khuwa.

This intricate web of contacts appears to constitute potent evidence for unraveling the gold smuggling operation.

Yet, the police and the District Attorney’s office have seemingly disregarded this independent evidence, likely due to the involvement of Mahara and his son.

An intriguing aspect emerges in the section detailing the who, what, and the committed crime within the charge sheet in which the names of Krishna Mahara and Rahul are identified as participants in organized criminal treachery. However, no charges are levied against them.

Within the explanation section of the indictment, roles are attributed based on police reports, supported by observations of individuals inadvertently captured during the investigation, a letter indicating the market value of 9 kg 11 grams of gold uncovered during the inquiry, the gold’s market value of 85.5 million, and an associated call detail link chart.

An unmentioned group consisting of 11 individuals engaged in buying the smuggled gold includes Sahdev Rao, Ganesh Badu, Bedh Prakash Agrawal, Sachin Pawar, Nandu Kumar, and Sachin.

The group’s contacts feature numbers such as 917447727355, 918010701062, 9869239713, 911408401460, and 919168086995.

Interestingly, most of the smuggled gold appears to find its way into India.

However, due to the lack of information from the Indian side, the identities behind these Indian numbers remain uncertain.