Maoist Vice President Mahara Haziri passed away

Former Speaker and Maoist Vice President Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who was arrested on charges of gold smuggling, has been released from custody. Mahara, one of the accused in the case of smuggling gold hidden in electronic cigarettes (VeP) on December 10, 2079, was arrested from Kapilvastu last Monday. He was released on appearance bail on Friday. Mahara has been handed over to his son Nirmal Mahara by District Public Prosecutor's Office Kathmandu.

Mahara, who was arrested in the custody of Kapilvastu, was brought to Kathmandu through Bhairahawa Airport on the same day. The court initially allowed Mahara to be detained and investigated, but he was admitted to Narvik Hospital after evading police custody due to health problems. After that, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) spent 4 days taking a statement from him, and the statement ended on Thursday. According to police sources, Mahara is being investigated as a middleman in gold smuggling and as a defendant.

While the investigation is ongoing, the public prosecutor's office has continued the rest of the investigation and handed Mahara over to relatives in attendance. Mahara's younger son Rahul, Resham Mahara, is currently in jail in the case of gold smuggling hidden in electronic cigarettes (Vape). Babu Mahara was given 'concession' to investigate by keeping him out of custody by the public prosecutor's office. District Public Prosecutor's Office, Kathmandu chief and co-prosecutor Sandesh Shrestha said that considering Mahara's health condition, he was released on appearance bail. "Accused Mahara has been released on remand due to his health condition," Shrestha told Kantipur. Even if Mahara is released, the investigation will not be affected.

Mahara, who has served as Minister of Home Affairs, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Communications, was earlier arrested on the charge of sexually abusing a female employee of the Parliament Secretariat. Mahara, who spent a few months in jail in that case, was released after the Kathmandu court found him 'innocent'. After that, Mahara, who became active in politics again, was accused of criminal activities in collaboration with Chinese gold smugglers.

Even though the father and son were involved in this crime, the police acquitted the father and prosecuted only his son Rahul for crimes including organized crime. Last time, the commission of inquiry formed under the chairmanship of former judge Dilliraj Acharya gave the opinion that Mahara's role in the VEP case is doubtful and that the facts and evidence "cannot say that he is not guilty" and that it should be re-investigated. After confirming the commission's report, CIB arrested Mahara and started investigation. According to police sources, apart from the 9 kg of gold that was hidden in Vep, Mahara's role in other smuggling from the Chinese gang was also suspicious and they gave the opinion that a thorough investigation should be done.

After the customs of Tribhuvan International Airport stopped the VEP, which was brought with hidden gold, Mahara mobilized his younger son Rahul to rescue it. In the VEP case alone, it was revealed that Mahara Babuchora communicated 256 times to the gold smuggler's network and customs officials. When it was investigated, only Rahul became a defendant, while Babu Mahara was acquitted. Apart from Vep, it has been found that Mahara has also become an accomplice of Chinese smuggler Dawa Chiring, who is in jail pending trial in the case of gold smuggling through Brek Su. A CIB official said that Mahara has been released on bail by the public prosecutor's office while several evidences were found on him.

'The investigation was still ongoing, only the statement against Mahara has been completed,' a police officer told Kantipur, 'After the release of the arrested accused, it seems that the investigation is going on slowly.' Sources claim that he acted as an intermediary in the collusion with the group including Dawajin Wang and Dawa Tshiring. According to the report of the Commission of Inquiry, it has been confirmed that Mahara also played a role in registering the vehicle used by Chinese gold smuggler Dawa Chiring in the name of Gurung, adviser to the then Vice President Pun. Dawa Chiring is the defendant in the case of 61 kg of gold smuggled to Break Suma. It has been found that Mahara Vep and Break Su are in contact with the smugglers of both cases. However, there is a growing suspicion that the investigation will be affected when the investigation is released on appearance bail.