RSP President Lamichhane’s alleged detention photo goes viral, sparks controversy

KATHMANDU: A photo allegedly showing Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane in police custody has gone viral on social media.

The image depicts a person lying under a blanket, but since the face is not clearly visible, there is ongoing debate over whether it is actually Lamichhane.

RSP leaders, however, claim the photo is indeed of their party president and accuse authorities of intentionally leaking it.

Deepak Bohara, RSP’s Vice Treasurer and Lamichhane’s personal secretary, shared the image on social media, alleging that it was a screenshot taken from the CCTV footage of Kaski police detention.

Expressing outrage, Bohara wrote, “There is a limit to injustice. Who did the Kaski police send this screenshot of Ravi Dai sleeping in custody to? And for what purpose was it made public? What is the price of this photo? If justice is not dead, someone will have to pay for this.”

In a subsequent live video, Bohara revealed that he had spoken to Lamichhane about the image. According to him, police have increased security measures at the detention facility.

Bohara stated, “There is no doubt that the leaked photo is of Rabi. He has repeatedly said he does not feel safe in custody. He feels like someone is zooming in on him. It’s not just the photo; they may have sent video footage, too. Rabi has asked for an investigation into this matter.”

Kaski Police’s Response

The Kaski District Police Office has announced that they are investigating the viral image. When asked whether the photo is indeed of Lamichhane, DSP Basant Kumar Sharma stated, “We are investigating how the photo was leaked.”

Lamichhane is currently in police custody facing charges related to cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering.

The photo controversy has raised concerns over the confidentiality and security of police detention facilities, putting law enforcement under considerable pressure.

The police have promised a swift investigation to uncover the truth behind the incident.