The Morang District Court started recording statements of six of the 63 accused in 33 kg gold smuggling case and the subsequent murder of Sanam Shakya, an alleged smuggler.
However, the recording of the statement will continue on Friday as it could not be completed today.
Registrar of the District Court Nawaraj Dulal said the Court started to record statements of Rajan Kumar, Ekraj Malla Thakuri, Madan Prasad Ghimire, Mohan Kafle, Lakpa Sherpa and Narendra Karki in the presence of District Judge Narayan Prasad Sharma.
Kafle, Karki and Thakuri were arrested on March 3 after Sanam Shakya, an alleged runner of the smuggled gold, was found murdered in Urlabari on March 2. The Court has planned to record the statements of all other suspects by May 8.
The District Attorney’s Office (DAO) filed a charge-sheet at the court against 63 suspects—29 arrested individuals and 34 absconding—in the gold smuggling case and the murder of Shakya. The suspects have been pressed charges of organised crime, murder, abduction and hostage taking.
Based on the report prepared by a high-level committee formed to probe into Sanam Shakya’s murder and gold smuggling, DAO filed the charge-sheet against the accused, seeking Rs 17 billion and 18 million in fines.