The District Court Morang has started recording statement of Chudamani Upreti, alias Gore, the alleged mastermind of the 33 kg gold smuggling case, on Wednesday.

While recording the statement, Gore said that he was innocent and was framed. Gore revealed that many other persons are also involved in the gold smuggling racket, a source said.

A single bench of District Judge Narayan Prasad Sharma had also inquired Gore by showing the video clips of torture they inflicted on Sanam Shakya, the alleged gold carrier who was electrocuted to death, and other clips related to the case.

Public prosecutors are trying to extract more information from Gore by showing the pictures presented at the court.

A special team formed to probe the gold smuggling case led by Home Ministry Joint-secretary Ishwor Poudel, had arrested Gore from Gaurighat in Kathmandu on Tuesday morning.

Gore had entered Nepal last week from India via Jhapa before heading for Kathmandu. He was paraded before the media at the premises of the Home Ministry on Tuesday noon.

During the investigation, police came to know that Gore and his associates had managed to smuggle more than 3,790 kg gold from Dubai via Tribhuvan International Airport in 421 trips since July 2015.

Following his arrest, Gore was produced before the District Court Morang on Tuesday itself.

As soon Gore was produced before the court, the kith and kin of Shakya had chanted slogans demanding stern action against the accused.

The charred body of Shakya was recovered from the boot of a vehicle during security check in Lahan in Siraha district, Sagarmatha Zone of south-eastern Nepal on March 4.

Gore and other accused is said to have tortured Shakya to death to extract information about the disappeared gold, which allegedly belonged to Mohan Kumar Agrawal.

The 33kg gold smuggled through the Tribhuvan International Airport had mysteriously disappeared from Kathmandu before reaching its intended destination.

The smuggling case drew much public attention following the murder of Shakya.

The District Attorney’s Office, Morang, has filed a charge sheet at the Morang District Court against 63 suspects.

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