MORANG: Morang District Court has recorded statements of 27 of the 30 people arrested on charges of gold smuggling and murder of co-conspirator Sanam Shakya.

The court had begun recording statements of the accused on Thursday. Of the thirty people held in the case, statements of three Nepal Police Officers - two Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and one Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) – remain.

According to District Court Morang Shrestedar Nawaraj Dulal, DSP Sanjay Raut, DSP Prajit KC and SSP Diwesh Lohani are waiting for their turn.

Raut has already presented half his statement at the court.

The District Court has finished recording statements of former Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Govinda Niraula, suspended personnel Sub-Inspector Bal Krishna Sanjel (aka Sanjel mama), Superintendent of Police Bikas Raj Khanal and Head-Constable Ambar Bahadur Thapa Magar.

Likewise, Rajan Thapa, Punya Prasad Tamang (Takle), Gopal Kumar Shrestha, Hemanta Gautam, Raju Maharjan, Amarman Dangol, Tularam Tharu and Bishnu Bahadur Khadka, arrested in connection with the case, have also recorded their statements.

Tek Raj Malla, Bhujung Gurung, Rajendra Kumar Shakya, Mahabir Prasad Golyan aka Chahaji, Lal Bahadur Magar, Birendraman Shrestha, Sambir Prasad Tolange, Balkrishna Shrestha, Doram Khatri and Kapil Raj Puri had recorded their statements on Sunday.

On Friday, Mohan Kafle, Lhakpa Sherpa, Madan Prasad Ghimire (Madhav), Narendra Karki (Krishna) and Rajan Kumar had recorded statements.

The court will hear from the remaining three- Raut, KC and Lohani- on Tuesday.