CPN (Maoist Center) Vice Chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara Arrested Following Gold Smuggling Probe Recommendation

Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the vice chairman of the ruling CPN (Maoist Center), has been apprehended by police authorities. Reports indicate that his arrest took place in Pakadi of Kapilvastu. This development follows a recommendation from the high-level probe commission chaired by former judge Dilliraj Acharya, which investigated a gold smuggling case and advised action against Mahara.

The directive for prompt action against Mahara came from Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane. Notably, Mahara, who previously served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has been the subject of scrutiny in connection with the aforementioned gold smuggling case.

Upon receiving the recommendation from the Probe Commission on Gold Smuggling, Home Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Inspector General of Police Basanta Kunwar, and the head of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police, Shyam Gyawali, swiftly instructed law enforcement to effectuate Mahara's arrest.

Mahara's apprehension occurred earlier today in Kapilvastu, where he was allegedly attempting to flee to Dang. It is reported that he resorted to changing vehicles in Pakadi to evade capture. However, law enforcement's heightened surveillance led to his eventual arrest.

There was a state of commotion upon receiving word from Kapilvastu police regarding Mahara's attempted escape. Home Minister Lamichhane, upon learning of this, reiterated the urgency for law enforcement to act decisively, especially given the alleged attempt to cross the international border into India.