Supreme Cooperative Fraud Case: Lamichhane Lands in Custody Again

The Butwal bench of Tulsipur high court on Friday (April 4) sent Rabi Lamichhane, the then managing director of Gorkha Media, to custody in a case of fraud and organized crime, overturning the decision of the Rupandehi district court to release him on bail.

A joint bench of judges Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli issued an order to this effect on Friday, overturning an earlier decision of the district court to release Lamichhane, the former home minister and chief of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), on a bail of Rs 10 million in response to a writ from the latter regarding the alleged embezzlement of depositors' savings kept at Butwal-based Supreme Cooperative. 

The bench has also sent another former official of Gorkha Media, former DIG Chhabilall Joshi, into custody in connection with the same case.

On January 26, while releasing Lamichhane on bail, the district court had stated: As there is no reasonable ground to believe that the defendant did not commit the alleged crime on the basis of available evidence, the matter will be further examined during the trial.

The district government attorney’s office had moved the high court against the January 26 decision, arguing that Lamichhane should remain in custody, given the seriousness of the charges and the evidence against him.