61-kg gold smuggling case: Political shield used to free Maoist leader Amala Roka

KATHMANDU, June 24: Amala Roka, a key suspect in the 61-kg gold smuggling case, has been released, raising concerns that individuals with political connections continue to evade accountability.

Roka, who was arrested in connection to the high-profile smuggling case, was granted release by both the court and the police. The Kathmandu District Court ordered her release on a bail of Rs 200,000. Shortly after, she was also released by the police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) under general court attendance despite an ongoing probe under money laundering charges.

The release follows a broader trend where politically connected figures, including Maoist leaders such as Krishna Bahadur Mahara, have avoided serious legal consequences in the gold smuggling case under various pretexts.

Despite clear links between Pranish Pun Magar—brother of Maoist leader Barshaman Pun—and smuggling gang leader Dawa Chhiring, no investigation has been initiated against him. Deepesh Pun, son of former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, also maintained frequent contact with the suspects, yet the government has been sluggish in pursuing accountability.

Amala had remained on the lam for 23 months before being arrested last Friday. She was presented to the court on Sunday and released on Monday after posting bail. She was initially arrested for smuggling gold concealed in brake pads at Tribhuvan International Airport. After her release on bail, the CIB rearrested her under money laundering charges but later handed her over to the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, which released her under general supervision.

Roka, formerly the vice president of the Maoist-affiliated Rolpa-Kathmandu Contact Forum, was arrested from Tokha, Kathmandu, on June 20. The smuggled gold was seized by the Department of Revenue Investigation on 18 July 2023. Following the start of the investigation, Roka and her husband Dawa Chhiring were frequently linked to high-profile Maoist leaders, particularly Nanda Bahadur Pun. There were longstanding allegations that Pun helped Roka evade arrest.

Sources allege that Roka escaped custody while her husband Dawa Chhiring was being arrested. She was later found hiding in a Maoist leader’s residence in Kathmandu, but police have remained silent on that matter. The CIB had even issued an INTERPOL diffusion notice to locate her.

Her husband is currently in judicial custody. Despite her fugitive status, the District Government Attorney’s Office in Kathmandu filed a case against 29 people on September 17, 2023, seeking to recover Rs 3.5 billion in damages. Roka was not included among the main accused in that charge sheet.

A separate probe commission formed to investigate the gold smuggling case also reportedly excluded Roka from liability, placing full blame on her husband. According to investigators, Dawa not only smuggled gold but also helped Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals obtain Nepali citizenship and passports based on his own citizenship.