The deadline of the panelformed to probe the 33kg gold smuggling case and subsequent murder of Sanam Shakya, an alleged gold carrier, expires on Wednesday.

The government had formed a special probe committee on March 24 under Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry Ishwor Raj Paudel. The deadline ended even as the task force is reportedly pursuing the ‘big fish’ involved in the case.

The task force is preparing a dossier comprising reports of the investigation carried out so far after the government expressed its reluctance to extend the deadline. The task force 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.

On June 18, the government had given a one-month extension to the probe team for the second time after the previous one ended on June 14. The government had extended the tenure of the panel under Joint Secretary Poudel foruntil July 16. The Poudel-led investigation team had swung into action on April 3 for a 45-day period.

The team’s tenure was first extended till June 14 after new facts emerged in the gold smuggling case following the arrest of Chudamani Upreti aka Gore.