Kathmandu : CPN (Maoist Center) Vice Chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who was arrested in the gold smuggling case, has been released.

Mahara, who was produced at the Office of the Kathmandu District Attorney today, was released on the condition that he appear in court whenever required in the future.

Even though the four-day remand given by the District Court Kathmandu expired on Thursday, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police released Mahara without producing him at the district court.

Mahara was released by the Kathmandu District Attorney today in accordance with the case file furnished by the CIB recommending his release, and his son Nirmal Mahara took him back to Norvic Hospital for treatment, said CIB Spokesperson SP Hobindra Bogati.

CIB had taken Mahara’s statements on Wednesday and Thursday after his arrest on last Monday.  Even if Mahara admitted to contacting the Chinese national, he denied his involvement in the gold smuggling case while recording statements by the police.

The CIB on Monday arrested Mahara from Kapilvastu while he was heading to his home district Rolpa in the course of investigating the 61 kg gold smuggling case.

Following the arrest, Mahara was admitted to Norvic Hospital for treatment as per the court order without keeping him at the CIB’s custody on account of his health issue.

Rahul Mahara, the son of former Speaker Krishna Bahadur, is currently serving a judicial custody for his alleged involvement in smuggling nine kilograms of gold in the form of electric cigarettes.