Kathmandu, April 5 The Ministry of Home Affairs today wrote to Nepal Police Headquarters to recall Senior Superintendent of Police Dibesh Lohani from Metropolitan Police Crime Division. A MoHA source told THT that a probe committee led by joint secretary Ishwor Paudel made a decision to write to Nepal Police Headquarters for SSP Lohani’s removal as MPCD in-charge for further investigation into his ‘negligence’ in handling the February 2 murder of Sanam Shakya, 36, of Morang, an alleged carrier of smuggled gold, and the disappearance of 33 kg precious yellow metal. “Since SSP Lohan’s continuation in MPCD as its chief could hamper the ongoing investigation into Shakya’s murder and disappearance of 33 kg gold, the MoHA wrote to Nepal Police Headquarters to recall him,” the source said. Nepal Police has also formed a four-member probe panel led by DIG Puskal Raj Regmi to investigate into the case. The MoHA and the Nepal Police Headquarters treated this incident seriously on suspicion that some police personnel of MPCD could have a hand in the murder of Shakya and the disappearance of the gold allegedly being smuggled from China via land route. Shakya was allegedly electrocuted to death by members of the same smuggling racket in Urlabari-1 of Morang  for ‘involvement in the disappearance of the gold’. But, a team deployed from MPCD claimed that ‘three persons were arrested while transporting Shakya’s body to a nearby forest in Pokhariya of Biratnagar ‘for disposal’ on February 3. Those arrested were Narendra Karki, Tekraj Malla and Mohan Kafle. The source said that ‘some police personnel’ were trying to let the main perpetrators of the gold smuggling and the murder of Shakya walk free by not bringing out the truth’. Lack of progress on the probe into the murder and disappearance of 33 kg gold also necessitated further investigation by recalling SSP Lohani, he informed. He said the MoHA would also initiate action against a DSP, sub-inspector and constable who recovered the body of Shakya ‘by helping the main perpetrators escape justice’. A high-level source at the NP Headquarters said it would recall SSP Lohani as per the letter of the line ministry. Meanwhile, the MoHA is preparing to designate a new SSP as MPCD in-charge.