Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dibesh Lohani has been arrested in connection with 33-kg gold smuggling case. 

A high level committee formed to look into the case handed over an arrest warrant to Lohani and arrested him after he reached District Police Office, Morang, on Tuesday to record his statement. He was later presented before the court. 

SSP Lohani had led the investigation of the murder of Sanam Shakya, an alleged carrier of the smuggled gold, and the disappearance of 33 kg precious yellow metal, when he was the Chief of Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD).

Lohani had sent DSP Prajit KC and Sub-Inspector Bal Krishna Sanjel to Morang to investigate into the murder of Shakya and apprehend Chudamani Upreti aka Gore, the alleged mastermind behind the gold smuggling.

It has been learnt that SSP Lohani had taken verbal permission from AIG Bam Bahadur Bhandari to investigate into the case and had also reported the Nepal Police headquarters time and again about the incident.

The 33 kg gold smuggled through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) had disappeared mysteriously from Kathmandu before reaching the destination.

The smuggling case drew more public attention following the murder of Sanam Shakya of Urlabari, Morang. 

According to sources, distrust amongst the group involved in the smuggling of precious metal murdered Shakya, who was allegedly brutally thrashed and electrocuted to death apparently in a bid to prise information out of him.

 A video of the murder was also taken where Shakya, during the beating, had called out the name of former DIG Niraula. 

Earlier, the Metropolitan Police Crime Division had begun investigation into the matter. However, the Home Ministry suspected laxity in the police probe and directed the Police Headquarters to recall three people including MPCD SSP Dibesh Lohani, DSP Prajit KC to the headquarters.