Rabi being taken to Butwal today

KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane is being taken to Rupandehi today for a statement in relation to an organized crime allegation tied to misappropriation of savings from Butwal’s Supreme Cooperative.

On Kartik 8 (Oct 24), the Rupandehi District Court granted permission to arrest Lamichhane along with 12 others on charges of organized crime.

In line with this order, he is being brought to the government attorney’s office in Rupandehi for questioning.

According to Rupandehi Police Chief SP Ranjit Singh Rathour, Lamichhane is scheduled to be flown from Pokhara to Rupandehi on a Buddha Air flight this morning. However, there may be delays due to Bhairahawa Airport’s morning closure. Once he arrives, he will be taken directly to the District Police Office in Bhairahawa, followed by a transfer to the District Government Attorney’s Office.

This case involves the illegal transfer of funds from Supreme Cooperative to Gorkha Media Network, a company where Lamichhane served as Managing Director. Two days of statements were taken from Chhabilal Joshi, former Vice President of Gorkha Media Network, who was then sent back to Pokhara.

The parliamentary inquiry committee on cooperatives concluded that funds from Supreme Cooperative were transferred to Gorkha Media, where Lamichhane was in a leading position. Their report revealed that Rs 25 million was transferred under Joshi’s name, and NPR 19.6 million under Lamichhane’s name.

The special investigative report also noted that Rs 142.9 million had been transferred from Supreme Cooperative to Gorkha Media Network under the names of Joshi, Lamichhane, GB Rai, Bhupendra Babu Rai, Kumar Ramtel, and the network itself.

The police have filed cases against 28 individuals, including Supreme Cooperative’s chairman Om Prakash Gurung, in Rupandehi District Court. Gurung is currently in pretrial detention, while six others, including former Cooperative Secretary Dipesh Pun, have been released on bail.