High Court Backs District Court: Rahul Mahara to Remain in Judicial Custody

the Patan High Court has affirmed the order of the Kathmandu District Court, directing the judicial custody of Rahul Mahara, son of former speaker and CPN (Maoist Center) Vice-chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, in connection with the 9 kg gold smuggling case. The decision was made by a bench comprising Judges Anju Upreti Dhakal and Dipendra Adhikari.

Deputy Registrar Tirtha Raj Bhattarai confirmed that the High Court, in its ruling, upheld the district court’s decision to keep Rahul Mahara and another accused, Lokendra Kumar Paudel, in custody. Paudel, who is the driver of Daojin Wang, the alleged mastermind behind the gold smuggling scam, had been released on bail of Rs 500,000 as per the Kathmandu District Court’s order dated October 13, 2023.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police had filed a case against four individuals, including Rahul Mahara and Lokendra Kumar Paudel, on October 11, 2023, charging them with criminal breach of trust, organized crime, and smuggling. The other two accused are Belgian national Dawa Tsering and Nima Gurung, the latter of whom is still at large. Tsering is currently in custody after being arrested in connection with the smuggling of 60 kg gold in July.

The origins of this intricate case trace back to December 25, 2022, when the customs office at the Tribhuvan International Airport confiscated 730 e-cigarettes from a Chinese national named Li Hansong. Initially claimed to be for business purposes, the e-cigarettes were later revealed to contain approximately nine kilograms of gold. This revelation came to light after customs officials discovered that the e-cigarettes had been tampered with, leading to the extraction of gold.

An investigation by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) uncovered that non-gazetted first-class official Rewant Khadka and customs agent Dinesh Basnet had collaborated to change the e-cigarettes, extracting the gold and selling it for a staggering Rs 60 million.

Moreover, it was revealed that the Maharas and other influential figures had exerted pressure to secure the release of the confiscated goods from the Customs Office once the gold was discovered. Subsequently, the CIB launched an investigation into their involvement in the smuggling scandal.

Following the investigation, Rahul Mahara was arrested, while his father, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, was released after signing a document. The legal proceedings have now progressed with the Patan High Court’s endorsement of the Kathmandu District Court’s decision, reaffirming the commitment to justice in this high-profile gold smuggling case. As the trial proceeds, the nation awaits further revelations and developments surrounding this intricate web of illicit activities.