Krishna Bahadur Mahara, leader of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and former Speaker of the House, has been formally charged in connection with a gold smuggling case. The District Government Attorney’s Office filed the case against Mahara today at the Kathmandu District Court.
He is being prosecuted for involvement in smuggling 61 kilograms of gold concealed inside brake shoes. Authorities are seeking a penalty and compensation amounting to NPR 85,528,374 (approximately 8.55 crore rupees).
Mahara was arrested by a team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police on Sunday from Lalitpur for investigation into the high-profile smuggling case. Just days earlier, he had also been questioned by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
He was initially arrested on 5th Chaitra 2080 B.S. (March 18, 2024) from Bhairahawa. Later, based on recommendations from CIB investigators, he was released on conditional bail.
Mahara’s name has been linked to Chinese nationals involved in two major gold smuggling incidents — the smuggling of 61 kilograms of gold hidden in brake shoes, and a separate case in Poush 2079 B.S. (December 2022) involving 9 kilograms of gold smuggled inside electronic cigarettes (vapes). His son Rahul Mahara and Dipesh Pun, son of former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, have also been implicated.
The Gold Smuggling Probe Commission led by former Justice Dillirat Acharya had recommended filing charges against Mahara in its submitted report.
According to police, investigations revealed that Mahara was involved in the formation of a criminal group and in generating organized criminal profit through the sale of smuggled gold valued at NPR 85.5 million. Consequently, he has been charged under the Customs Act 2064 (2007), as well as under laws related to organized crime and illicit gains.
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