Pokhara, October 24
Former Home Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President, Rabi Lamichhane, who was arrested on charges of cooperative fraud, has been remanded for an additional seven days for further investigation. The Kaski District Court, under Justice Chandrakant Paudel, granted the extension for Lamichhane, along with Chhabilal Joshi and Lila Pachhai.
Lamichhane was arrested on October 17 in connection with embezzlement at Suryadarshan Cooperative. He was taken to Pokhara the same night and presented to the court on Sunday due to a public holiday on Saturday. Initially, police were granted six days from Friday for investigation.
Former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, also arrested in the same case, remains in custody. A previous remand of 20 days was extended for Joshi from October 3.
The case involves accusations of misappropriating Rs 55.8 million through Gorkha Media. Lamichhane and Joshi, among 18 individuals, face organised crime charges for allegedly misusing funds from cooperatives across the country.
After Lamichhane’s arrest, RSP has protested, labelling it political revenge, with demonstrations ongoing in Pokhara. The party has called for more protests today near Ratna Chowk.
The case continues to unfold as investigations proceed.
