The Morang District Court on Tuesday is recording statements of 3 more persons accused in 33 kg gold smuggling case and subsequent murder of Sanam Shakya, an alleged carrier.

The District Court has already recorded the statements from 27 out of 30 persons accused in the crime.

The court, today, will be recording statements from SSP Dibesh Lohani, DSP Prajit KC and DSP Sanjay Raut.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Inspector General Govinda Niraula and suspended Superintendent of Police Bikashraj Khanal have denied their involvement in the case while recording their statements before District Judge Narayan Prasad Sharma on Monday.

Main accused Rajan Kumar, Tek Raj Malla Thakuri, Madan Prasad Ghimire aka Madhav, Mohan Kafle, Lakpa Sherpa and Narendra Karki aka Krishna and businessmen Bujung Gurung, Rajendra Kumar Shakya and Mahabir Golyan and airport staffers Lal Bahadur Magar, Birendraman Shrestha, Doram Khatri, Kapil Raj Puri and Bal Krishna Shrestha and DSP Bal Krishna Sanjel have already recorded their statements before District Judge Narayan Prasad Sharma as of Sunday.

Lawyers have said that suspects held in connection with the 33kg gold smuggling case and murder of Shakya have changed their statements to the Morang District Court.

The District Attorney’s Office, Morang, has filed a chargesheet against 63 people in connection to the gold smuggling case and the subsequent murder of Sanam Shakya.

The DA has recommended recovery of Rs 17 billion and an additional fine of Rs 18 million from the accused on the charges of organised crime, hostage-taking and murder.

Police have arrested 30 of the 63 accused so far; among the arrestees are senior police officers and the staff of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

Nawaraj Dulal, the District Court registrar, said the formal trial will begin after the court has completed recording the statements of the accused.

The 33kg gold smuggled through the Tribhuvan International Airport had mysteriously disappeared from Kathmandu. The smuggling case drew much public attention following the murder of Shakya, a resident of Urlabari in Morang, on March 2.