Kathmandu, April 25

The probe committee led by joint secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Ishwar Raj Paudel recorded statement of Superintendent of Police Bikashraj Khanal today.

The in-charge of Makwanpur District Police was arrested and brought to Kathmandu on Tuesday evening in connection with the February 2 murder of Sanam Shakya, 36, an alleged carrier of smuggled gold, and the disappearance of 33 kg precious yellow metal.

SP Khanal was stationed at Tribhuvan International Airport when the gold was smuggled from Dubai in mid-February before it went missing.

Former DIG Govinda Niraula, erstwhile police chief at Tribhuvan International Airport, has already been arrested.

SSP Dibesh Lohani, DSP Prajit KC and sub-inspector Bal Krishna Sanjel of Metropolitan Police Crime Division are also under scanner and have been relieved of their responsibilities. A home ministry source said the committee was also interrogating them.

The home ministry source said many other former and incumbent police officials are likely to be dragged into investigation.

Meanwhile, the ministry is preparing to declare DSP Sanjay Raut an absconder after he gave the ministry officials the slip in Singha Durbar before interrogation on Tuesday.

Raut was in-charge of Area Police Office during the murder of Shakya in Morang. The ministry official said 22 persons, including senior cops, had been arrested for investigation so far.

The home ministry treated this incident seriously on suspicion that some police officials acted in collusion with gold smugglers to kill Shakya, 36, of Morang and hide the gold he was carrying.

Chudamani Uprety aka Gore, the mastermind behind the gold smuggling, is absconding and was allegedly assisted by the cops to escape.

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