The District Court Morang has ordered SSP Shyam Khatri, one of the suspects in the 33kg gold smuggling case and the subsequent murder of alleged smuggler Sanam Shakya, to remain in remand detention.

A single bench of district Judge Narayan Prasad Sharma ordered the police administration to keep Khatri in custody for his alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.

SSP Khatri surrendered himself before the District Court Morang on Thursday.

While recording his statement in the court, Khatri said that he was not involved in the gold smuggling.

He said that his involvement in the gold smuggling will not be proved as the missing precious yellow metal has not been recovered yet, a source said.

Judge Sharma started recording Khatri’s statement shortly after he surrendered himself before the court.

While recording the statement that lasted for five hours, SSP Khatri said that he had no knowledge about gold that smuggled from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and he was also not involved in that case.

Khatri said that it was not true that he used to take money for helping the gold smuggling racket.

After recording the statement, District Attorney Punya Prasad Pathak started arguing on the case. Advocate Hem Raj Panta had argued from Khatri’s side.

The Nepal Police Headquarters, Naxal, had issued a circular to find the whereabouts of the missing SSP.

Earlier, a special probe committee formed under the headship of Joint Secretary Ishwor Raj Paudel of the Ministry of Home Affairs had requested the National Central Bureau to start preparations to issue Interpol Red Notice against SSP Khatri among other accused involved in the gold smuggling after police could not find the whereabouts of them in the country.

According to a family source, Khatri had been living in Dehradun of India.

Khatri was arrested in connection to another 33kg gold smuggling case which was brought from Dubai to Tribhuvan International Airport on January 5, 2017. He was later released on March 17, 2017 after depositing a bail bond of Rs 200,000 following an order by Kathmandu District Court Judge Dipendra Adhikari.

Twenty-eight accused involved in the case have already been taken to the Regional Prison in Jhumka, Sunsari.

DIG Govinda Prasad Niraula, SSP Dibesh Lohani and SP Bikash Raj Khanal, among other suspect were taken to Jhumka after the Morang Prison was flooded with inmates.

Khatri’s driver Bishnu Bahadur Khadka has already been released on Rs 15,000 bail and body guard Ambar Bahadur Thapa on general date.

The District Attorney’s Office (DAO) had filed a charge sheet against 63 suspects on Wednesday, recommending Rs 17 billion and Rs 18 million in fines as per the report prepared by a high-level committee formed to probe into the case. 

The probe panel has concluded that Chudamani Upreti aka Gore, the alleged mastermind behind gold smuggling, and his accomplices smuggled 3,999.6 kg of gold since July 2015.

Acting on a tip-off, a special team under the Home Ministry had arrested Gore from Gaurighat of Kathmandu on May 22.