Rabi Lamichhane To Appear In Court Over Cooperative Fraud Allegations

Former Home Minister and Chairperson of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Rabi lamichhane is once again appearing in the court today. The ongoing hearing in Rupandehi District Court, concerns allegation of his involvement in a large-scale cooperative fraud tied to Supreme Savings and Credit Cooperatives. 

Two lawyers representing the victims are yet to present their statements, which necessitates Lamichhane's presence in court. The government prosecutors concluded their arguments on Thursday, but the hearing remains incomplete.

Lamichhane first appeared in this case on Wednesday and has been released on bail under the responsibility of his wife, Nikita Poudel, and his legal counsel, with a commitment to attend all required hearings.

He faces accusations of misappropriating Rs 861.8 million from 1,831 depositors of the cooperative. Police investigations allege that Rs 142.9 million from the cooperative’s funds was transferred to Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd., while Rs 20 million was taken as a loan under Lamichhane’s name. The case was originally filed in April, with Lamichhane included in a supplementary complaint filed later. 

After the conclusion of the hearing in Rupandehi, he is expected to appear in courts in Chitwan and Parsa, where additional arrest warrants have been issued against him. This case has drawn widespread attention, given its implications for both the financial sector and Lamichhane’s political career.