The deadline of the taskforce formed to probe the 33kg gold smuggling case and subsequent murder of Sanam Shakya, an alleged gold carrier, has expired.

Earlier on March 24, the government had formed a special probe committee under the headship of Joint Secretary Ishwor Raj Paudel of the Ministry of Home Affairs to look into the case.

The deadline of the taskforce ended even as the taskforce was intensifying its investigation to arrest the ‘big fish’ involved in the gold smuggling case.

 The taskforce is preparing to submit its report by accumulating all the reports of investigation done so far after the government expressed its reluctance to extend the deadline.

The taskforce, which had expressed its confidence to arrest the ‘big fish’ involved in the gold smuggling case, has concluded that Mohan Krishna Agrawal, Rajendra Shakya and Bimal Podar are the main investors of the organised gold smuggling ring, while Bhujung Gurung, Tsering Wangdel, Mahawar Golyan, Chudamani Upreti aka Gore, Sanjay Khetan, Raju Daru of Birgunj, Harisharan Khadka of Dubai, Benu Shrestha and Chetan Bhandari are the small investors.

Earlier on June 18, the government had given a one-month extension to the probe team formed to investigate the 33 kg gold smuggling case.

The government had decided to extend the tenure of the panel under Joint-secretary at the Home Ministry Ishwor Poudel until July 16. This was the second extension of the committee’s deadline after the previous one ended on June 14.

The Poudel-led investigation team had swung into action on April 3 for a 45-day period. As the gold smuggling case became more complicated after the arrest of Chudamani Upreti aka Gore, with the emergence of new facts, the team’s tenure had been extended till June 14.