Kathmandu: The recent developments surrounding Krishna Bahadur Mahara, vice chairman of the Maoist Center and former Speaker of the Assembly, along with his son Rahul Mahara, in relation to alleged gold smuggling through electronic cigarettes (Vape), have taken a perplexing turn. The establishment of a commission of inquiry has raised suspicions that it might aim to exonerate the Mahara father-son duo, particularly considering political affiliations.

Despite emerging evidence of their close ties with a Chinese citizen involved in smuggling 9 kg of gold concealed in Vapes, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police refrained from launching a thorough investigation. Furthermore, unverified reports have surfaced, indicating their involvement in various illicit activities beyond the gold smuggling case.

The association of the Mahara father-son duo with Belgian citizen Dawajin Wang, who was implicated in the 9 kg gold smuggling, has raised eyebrows. However, the CIB's investigation didn't extend to interrogating them, prompting questions about the objectivity of the inquiry process. This isn't the first time Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been embroiled in controversies; he was previously accused of corruption and rape, both of which ended in his favor.

The trajectory of the inquiry into the larger 60 kg gold smuggling case has taken a curious turn. Despite Prime Minister Prachanda expressing intentions to combat corruption, he appears to have refrained from launching an investigation into the Mahara father-son duo, even in the face of CIB's findings pointing towards their involvement in the smuggling activities.

A high-level commission has been convened to investigate the matter under the Commission of Inquiry Act. It is tasked with examining smuggling control measures, proposing structural reforms, and conducting inquiries into various gold smuggling cases. However, the commission is reportedly empowered only to provide suggestions to the government without initiating legal actions.

Despite the CIB's report implicating Mahara and his son in smuggling and trading gold valued at NPR 80 million, they seem to have been granted immunity in what appears to be a pre-determined course of action.

A notable incident from last December involved the seizure of 730 vapes from the luggage of Chinese citizen Li Hansong, arriving from Dubai. Subsequent investigation revealed that the vapes concealed gold, with an estimated market value of NPR 80.55 million for the confiscated 9 kg and 11.524 grams of gold.

However, rather than following standard auction procedures, the gold-laden vapes were reportedly sold through collaboration with customs officials, raising concerns about transparency in evidence handling. Despite substantial evidence linking them to the smuggling, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Rahul Mahara have now seemingly been cleared of these allegations.