KATHMANDU: Former Speaker and senior leader of the Nepali Communist Party, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, has been granted release on bail of Rs 100,000 by the Special Court in connection with the high-profile gold smuggling case involving electronic cigarettes, commonly known as vapes.

A joint bench of judges Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and Bidur Koirala issued the order, allowing Mahara to be released upon posting the bail amount.

The case was filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on April 9, alleging Mahara’s involvement in a gold smuggling network that concealed gold inside vape devices imported from China. The case also names his son, Rahul Mahara, along with 28 other accused individuals.

According to the CIAA’s charge sheet, the accused allegedly operated an organized smuggling network during 2022 and 2023 by hiding small pieces of gold inside electronic cigarettes and distributing them through international channels. The anti-graft body has identified Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Rahul Mahara as key planners of the operation, which it says involved a Chinese network.

The CIAA has sought legal action against all accused under corruption, organized crime, and money laundering laws. It has demanded penalties totaling Rs 70 million in connection with the case.

Mahara had previously been remanded to judicial custody by the Kathmandu District Court. However, the Patan High Court later ordered his release on bail of Rs 2 million on November 27, 2025.

The latest order from the Special Court significantly reduces the bail amount and allows Mahara’s release while legal proceedings in the case continue.