KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu District Court has ordered former Speaker and CPN (Maoist Centre) vice-chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara to be sent to judicial custody for trial in connection with the gold smuggling case involving electronic cigarettes (vape).
The decision came on Wednesday following a hearing on whether Mahara should be remanded in custody.
Earlier, the District Government Attorney’s Office had filed a case against Mahara, demanding a fine of around Rs 85.5 million in connection with the smuggling of about 9 kilograms of gold concealed in vapes imported from Dubai.
Mahara was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police from his residence in Khumaltar, Lalitpur, on Sunday.
According to CIB, Mahara’s involvement was established in the smuggling operation allegedly led by Chinese national Li Ha Song. A supplementary charge sheet had been filed against him on Monday.
Mahara had also appeared at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) last Thursday to record his statement before being taken into custody three days later.
This is the second time Mahara has been detained in connection with the same case. During the tenure of then Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, he had been released on bail citing health reasons.
The gold smuggling case, initially investigated in 2022, alleges that Mahara used his political influence to protect those involved in trafficking gold hidden inside electronic cigarettes.
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