Police arrested Rastriya Swatantra Affair (RSP) armchair Rabi Lamichhane on Friday black from his abode in Budhanilakantha, Kathmandu afterward an adjustment from the Butwal bank of the Tulsipur Aerial Cloister to booty him in aegis in affiliation with a cooperatives artifice case.
The aerial court’s collective bank of justices Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli beforehand in the afternoon chaotic a accommodation by the Rupandehi Commune Court, which had arise Lamichhane on Rs10 actor bond in January aftermost week.
The cardinal upheld the commune court’s antecedent accommodation to accelerate above Gorkha Media Network abettor Chhabilal Joshi, who is additionally above agent ambassador accepted of Nepal Police, to aegis for added analysis in the aforementioned case.
A aggregation beneath the command of arch administrator of badge Hobindra Bogati from the Central Analysis Bureau accomplished Lamichhane’s abode anon afterwards the cloister order.
Following the order, Lamichhane, who is in Kathmandu, wrote on X: “Honouring the admirable court’s ruling, I am presenting myself for arrest immediately. I assurance the added doors of the attorneys abide accessible to me. For justice, I will beating on every accessible door. A grave abuse has been done to me…”
In a abstracted video annual uploaded aloof afore his arrest, Lamichhane claimed he was adverse abuse and appealed to his supporters not to adjournment the party’s accessible accident in Chitwan appointed for Saturday.
The Legal and Political Repercussions of Rabi Lamichhane’s Arrest
According to CIB agent Administrator of Badge Sudhir Raj Shahi, Lamichhane was actuality kept at the Commune Badge Range Kathmandu afterwards the arrest and will be taken to Bhairahawa depending on the bearings of the day.
The aerial court’s adjustment additionally clears the way for Lamichhane to be transferred to Rupandehi for added proceedings. He faces accuse of artifice and organised abomination in the Supreme Cooperative case, in which the government alleges millions were misappropriated.
The Butwal bank of the Aerial Cloister Tulsipur has issued an adjustment to adjourn the Lamichhane to custody, abolishment the accommodation of the Commune Cloister of Rupandehi.
The collective bank of board Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli additionally upheld the accommodation of the commune cloister to accelerate above agent ambassador accepted (DIG) and ex-director of the now asleep Gorkha Media Network, Chhabilal Joshi, to administrative custody.
The commune cloister on January 26 had arise Lamichhane on a bond of Rs10 actor on the action that he arise on the appointed dates. Lamichhane afterwards confused the aerial court, arduous the lower court’s order.
Judge Yogi had ordered Lamichhane to be arise on bail, stating, “As there is no reasonable base to accept the actor did not accomplish the declared abomination based on the anon accessible evidence, the amount will be added advised during the trial.”
The Commune Attorney’s Office had appealed to the aerial court, gluttonous to annul this order. It had argued that Lamichhane should abide in aegis due to the calmness of the accuse and the affirmation adjoin him.
All three cases were heard together.
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The artifice case involves accusations of abstraction by both Lamichhane and Joshi, with claims that Rs20 actor were transferred to Lamichhane’s claimed annual and Rs25 actor to Joshi’s.
An analysis address has appear that a sum of Rs109.936 actor was deposited into assorted accounts of Gorkha Media Network. The annual accustomed by Lamichhane, claiming that Joshi had aloft basic for the media company, was additionally acclimated by the commune adjudicator as a basis. The chargesheet mentions the collective accountability of Lamichhane, Joshi, and GB Rai for the Rs109.936 actor channelled into Gorkha Media Network.
Lamichhane was arise on bail, while Joshi charcoal in aegis for added investigation. Rai is on the run.
Joshi had ahead been arise on bond of Rs8.8 actor in a case involving the Suryadarshan Cooperative in Pokhara and Rs5 actor in a artifice case accompanying to the Swarnalakshmi Cooperative in Kathmandu. Additionally, a case has been registered adjoin him in the Sahara Cooperative artifice case.
Lamichhane, on the added hand, was arise on bond in several cases: Rs6.5 actor in the Kaski-based Suryadarshan Cooperative case, Rs6 actor in the Swarnalakshmi case in Kathmandu, Rs10 actor in the Supreme Cooperative case in Rupandehi, and Rs5.4 actor in the Sahara Cooperative case in Chitwan.
The Supreme Cooperative case, which complex 28 defendants, including GB Rai, was registered in April aftermost year with a affirmation of Rs860 actor in damages. Among the 28 defendants, 17 individuals now face added charges.
The new development comes aloof bristles canicule afterwards Lamichhane resumed his role as affair president. The RSP had appointed affair vice-president DP Aryal as its acting arch in December 2024 afterwards Lamichhane faced cases of money laundering.
Lamichhane, who is still abeyant as lawmaker, had requested Speaker Devraj Ghimire to lift his abeyance a few canicule ago. The Speaker, however, responded that such acknowledgment was not possible.
