With the arrest of former Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Sunday, there has been increased interest in how he was involved in organized gold smuggling. Mahara, active in the decade-long Maoist "armed conflict", always remained at the center of state power after the peace process. After becoming a minister in the interim government led by Girija Prasad Koirala, he later became responsible for powerful ministries such as finance, home affairs and foreign affairs, along with the deputy prime minister.

After the first Constituent Assembly election, after the audio of him asking for money from China for the purchase and sale of MPs in Nepal became public, Mahara, who was dragged into the circle of controversy and suspicion, could not separate himself from the controversy despite reaching a powerful position. He became the speaker of the House of Representatives on 26 February 2074. At that time, he was accused of "raping" a woman working in the Parliament Secretariat. He was arrested from the Speaker's residence in Baluwatar. After that, Mahara's political journey always went downhill . After joining organized gold smuggling, his downward journey accelerated. How Mahara got involved in the case of gold smuggling . How did he escape from political power and get arrested again? We have tried to explain in 5 questions .  What is the gold smuggling case in Mahara Muchchigo Vep ? is one of the gold smuggling trades that international gangs operate in Nepal under various guises - gold smuggling hidden in Vape . On December 10, 2079, the Chinese smugglers transported gold to Tribhuvan International Airport via Dubai by hiding it in 730 bags in 73 bags. The price of about 9 kg of gold was equal to 8.5 million rupees according to the market price at that time. Li Hasong, a Chinese passport holder EJ 6350030, came to Kathmandu with 73 bundles of gold coins hidden in 2 suitcases from Fly Dubai flight number FZ 0587. As soon as he landed in Kathmandu, Hasang was planning to pass the test as a vape and hand him over to Dawajin Wang, the Nike of the Chinese gang. However, the airport customs office took control of the goods on the same day as the goods looked suspicious. Within a few days, Hasang absconded. Dawajin Wang, the owner of gold, increased his activity to release the goods stopped at the customs through the former Speaker Mahara and his son Rahul. After that, Mahara's father and son became active in releasing the golden vape according to the plan of Dawajin Wang. During that time, it was revealed that Mahara Babuchhora made 256 phone calls to various people including customs officials and Chinese smugglers at different times. Three days after the customs seized the vape, Mahara's father and son repeatedly called the customs officials and pressured them to release them. But the then Chief Administrator of Airport Customs, Arun Pokharel, did not agree. Until then, the issue of keeping gold in the vape was not made public . The vape was kept sealed in the warehouse . Later, those vape stored in the godown were stolen in a setting with customs staff and middlemen. In its place, another vape was placed. The mystery of the gang taking out the golden vape and selling it was revealed. This matter was discovered only then, when one of the employees assigned to guard the godown took the vape containing gold home. When I opened the door in the house, I found a gold pole inside.

Airport Customs wrote a letter to CIB on 26 Baisak 2080 to investigate the theft of vape containing gold stored in the godown . After that, various persons including Nasu Rewant Khadka of Customs were arrested. And the same Khadka, during his statement with the police, admitted that 'after finding the needles containing the gold-laced vape in the warehouse, they took out the gold-laced vape in their own plan and brought the raw vape from outside and kept it in the warehouse'. After that, the CIB investigated the theft of gold vape after about 2 months. During the investigation, only about 100 grams of gold was found, while it was found that about nine kilos of gold inside the vape had disappeared. Based on that, District Public Prosecutor's Office Kathmandu filed a case in District Court on 29 June 079 . During the investigation, it was revealed that Nandukumar Randuram from Maharashtra, India, had died in the vape. It was also discovered that Margale had opened a factory in New Road to collect and test smuggled gold. Along with this, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha were present when the case reached the court through the public prosecutor's office based on the CIB investigation. Both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are Maoist leaders. Mahara is one of the top leaders of the Maoists. Under the guise of power, Mahara and his son did not become defendants.

How was Mahara drawn back into the investigation?

In the case of gold smuggling in Vep, ex-Speaker Mahara and his son Rahul were manipulated from the beginning to prevent investigation and prosecution. Even though the Chinese smuggler, who has served in the positions of former Speaker, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Home Minister, was actively trying to release the gold he had hidden in Vep, the government obstructed the investigation on him . When the case related to gold smuggling/theft and theft from warehouses was filed in VEP, the Prime Minister was the Maoist Chairman (currently Coordinator) Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the Home Minister was the then Senior Vice Chairman of the Maoist Narayan Kaji Shrestha . At that time, the police was prevented from filing the case. Therefore, investigation and prosecution could not be done in the beginning . On 27 June 080, the case of gold theft in VEP reached the court.

  was included in the indictment that Mahara's father and son called the customs officials

256 times to release the smuggled gold. Mahara contacted the Chinese smuggler Lee Hasong (who came to Kathmandu from Dubai with gold in the VEP) 11 times for the purpose of getting rid of VEP's gold. Gold smuggler Daojin Wang also contacted Mahara by phone 11 times . Rahul was contacted by gold smuggler Daojin Wang 64 times and Rahul contacted Daojin 131 times . Another Chinese smuggler named Asin was contacted by Rahul 3 times. Rahul contacted Lokendra Paudel, who was involved in smuggling, 36 times. After the topic of Mahara's secret affair with those involved in gold smuggling was publicized, they were pulled into the investigation. At that time, Mahara started to tell that Dawajin Wang of the gang who secretly brought gold to Vep was his old acquaintance and that he had known Wang from the past as a fruit merchant . He also claimed that he only facilitated the release of vape at the airport for people he knew.

Mahara's son Rahul was prosecuted but his father was acquitted. How did it happen?

In the beginning, both the father and son who were active from the beginning to get rid of the smuggled gold that was brought into Vep were arrested and the rest were prosecuted . However, after the facts of direct contact with smugglers started to emerge, the pressure to investigate this matter also increased. A month and a half after the case was filed in the court for the crime of stealing gold hidden in a vape from the customs warehouse, Rahul, the younger son of former Speaker Mahara, was arrested.

CIB arrested Rahul on 13 August 2080 and started investigation. However, Babu Mahara was not arrested. Instead, on August 27, the CIB only questioned Mahara and sent a

paper and left the

 . On October 24, 2008, Lokendra Poudel along with Rahul, a Belgian citizen of Tibetan origin Dava Chiring and another person Nima Chiring were filed in the court demanding 7 years imprisonment for customs evasion and organized crime. Mahara escaped. All-round criticism started on this matter . This issue also entered the parliament. Against the backdrop of controversy over the role of the police in organized gold smuggling, the government formed an inquiry commission under the leadership of former judge Dilliraj Acharya. Which prepared a report with the opinion that more investigation should be done including the case of gold smuggling under the cover of ``break shoe'' in addition to vape . This report submitted to the government on 1 Chait080 contains the opinion that further investigation should be done on various people including Mahara, his son Rahul, Dipesh, the son of former Vice President Pun. How did Mahara get caught in gold smuggling?

Mahara was not involved in the first phase of the investigation even though he was active from the beginning to release the gold that was hidden in the vape. But after the commission submitted its report, Mahara was arrested on 5th Chait 080. The CIB team arrested him from Kapilvastu and brought him to Kathmandu to investigate organized crime and customs evasion. CIB remanded Mahara from the court and proceeded with further investigation . But 5 days after the investigation started, the investigation was not completed due to the pressure of the then government, and on 9th Chait, the District Public Prosecutor's Office handed him over to the family under "appearance". After the issue of the release of the person under investigation was criticized, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane defended the release of Mahara by saying "the state also has compassion". After about a year and a half, the investigation against Mahara was stopped . About 3 months after the release of Mahara, the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal collapsed . UML President KP Sharma Oli became Prime Minister with the support of Congress. However, even during Oli's time, the investigation against Mahara did not proceed . After the movement of Gen-G and the subsequent demonstration, the CIB arrested Mahara from Lalitpur on 26 October (Sunday) and resumed the investigation of the old case. Now, Mahara is also being investigated by the Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission. On 23 October, the authority called Mahara to the office in Tangal and took his statement.

Which crimes are being investigated against Mahara?

CIB has started an investigation against the former speaker Mahara for the offense of violating the Customs Act 064 and Organized Crime Prevention Act 070 . The authority is also investigating against Mahara, who has worked in a high position in the state, according to the Prevention of Corruption Act 059 . According to the order issued by the government under the Customs Act, 064, under the title 'Jhitigunta', women can bring 50 grams and men 25 grams and up to 200 grams of prepared gold by paying customs duty. Apart from this, gold transactions are considered punishable. Mahara had manipulated the Chinese smuggler's gold to escape from the customs . In the interrogation statement given by Mahara to the police, he has already admitted that he has an old relationship/acquaintance with Dawajin Wang, who was accused of being a smuggler. Dawajin is currently absconding . A case against him is pending in the district court. In section 57 of the Customs Act 064, it is mentioned that "If someone steals, exports or imports stolen goods or tries to do so, or if they export-import from another place where they are allowed to export-import only through a certain route, they are considered to have committed an offence". There is a provision of imprisonment for 1 to 3 years in such an offense and 3 to 5 years in case of an offense between 1 crore and 3 crore rupees. Jitendra's smuggled 4 kg gold is worth more than 4 crores. If this offense is confirmed, he may be charged with a misdemeanor and imprisoned for up to 5 years. CIB is investigating Mahara for offenses under the Customs Act and Organized Crime Sections. Similarly, Section 3 of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act-2070 states that 'no one shall commit or cause organized crime'. It is said that "someone commits a serious crime knowingly for the benefit of a criminal group, on behalf of a criminal group on behalf of a criminal group, or as a founder or member of a criminal group, he is considered to have committed an organized crime". An investigation has been started against Mahara for allegedly working in a Chinese smuggler's network to attract charges of organized crime . Other news related to