The Patan High Court has ordered the release of former Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is involved in gold smuggling, on a bail of Rs 2 million. On Thursday, a joint bench of Patan High Court Justices Arjun Prasad Koirala and Tejendra Prasad Sharma Sapkota ordered the release of Mahara on bail.

Mahara, who was involved in the gold smuggling case, was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police on September 26. Similarly, on September 29, the Kathmandu District Court ordered Mahara to be remanded in custody for trial. The high court quashed the district court's order to remand him in custody under Section 67 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2074 BS, saying it was not in accordance with the law. On March 9 last year, he was handed over to his son to be present when the District Attorney's Office summoned him for investigation due to his health condition. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority is investigating former Speaker Mahara, who is accused of smuggling gold in collaboration with a Chinese organized gang. The high court has ordered the release of Mahara on bail with a cash bail of Rs 2 million or its equivalent or bank guarantee, saying that it will be decided later as additional evidence is gathered, taking into account the charges against him and the evidence collected, his age and health condition.