The Biratnagar High Court has ordered the release of suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Prajit KC, one of the suspects in the 33kg gold smuggling case and the murder of carrier Sanam Shakya, on general date.

In the ruling on Sunday, a division bench of Judges Umesh Raj Poudel and Umesh Kumar Singh also ordered the release of another suspect Ram Kumar Tiwari on bail of Rs 500,000.

On June 11, the Morang District Court had issued an order to remand the duo in judicial custody.

Narayan Regmi, the registrar at the high court, said the Biratnagar High Court overturned the district court’s decision as it was not made in accordance with the legal provisions. The high court had on Friday ordered the release of suspended SSP Dibesh Lohani, another accused in the case.

The Morang District Attorney’s Office had lodged a number of cases related to murder, organised crime, abduction and hostage taking, against 63 suspects including KC, Tiwari and Lohani. The district court had remanded 28 suspects in custody for further investigation. Twenty-three suspects in the high-profile gold smuggling and murder case filed an appeal at the high court against the district court’s ruling.