Kathmandu: The District Court in Kathmandu has ordered the remand of former Speaker and Maoist Centre leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara in connection with a gold smuggling case. The decision was made after District Judge Harka Bahadur Chhetri determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to substantiate the charges against Mahara.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the court’s Information Officer, Dipak Shrestha, confirmed that Mahara will be held in the Sundhara-based jail. The charges stem from a case filed on October 13, demanding the recovery of Rs 85 million and seeking a prison sentence of over three years for Mahara.
The arrest of the former Speaker, who is also a prominent figure within the Maoist Centre, was executed by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on October 11. The arrest was related to Mahara’s alleged involvement in obstructing the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) customs from seizing gold smuggled in e-vape devices. The court hearing to decide whether Mahara should be released on bail or further investigated while in custody commenced on Tuesday, as confirmed by Ramhari Kafle, the Chief of District Attorney in Kathmandu.