KATHMANDU:  In a significant development, the premises of Pashupatinath temple were evacuated as the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) initiated an investigation into the gold used in the temple’s Jalhari.

Assisted by the Nepal Police, the Pashupati Area Development Fund (PADT), the Nepal Gold and Silver Traders Federation, and elected representatives, the CIAA team will lead the probe.

Upon receiving a notice from CIAA officials, stating that the investigation team would arrive at 6 pm on Sunday to collect the gold, all four doors of the temple were sealed, and devotees were asked to leave the premises.

According to a report by the Auditor General’s office, approximately 11 kg of gold went missing during the construction of the jalhari.

The then President Bidya Devi Bhandari unveiled the jalhari on February 24, 2021, three days before scheduled date.

Notably, the jalhari, valued at around one billion rupees, was inaugurated three days ahead of schedule.

Recently, Milan Kumar Thapa, member secretary of PADT, refuted allegations of gold embezzlement during a parliamentary committee hearing. Thapa urged for a reevaluation of the gold used in the jalhari.