Rabi Lamichhane’s case is in judge Dhakal’s bench
The District Attorney's Office filed charges against Lamichhane and 14 others on Tuesday, along with six institutions, including Gorkha Media Pvt. Ltd.
KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane appeared at Chitwan District Court at 10 AM today in connection with the Sahara Chitwan Multipurpose Cooperative fraud case.
His case was assigned to Judge Dayaram Dhakal’s bench through a lottery system, and his statement recording has begun, according to court spokesperson Amrit Bishwokarma. A detention hearing will follow.
The District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Lamichhane and 14 others on Tuesday, along with six institutions, including Gorkha Media Pvt. Ltd.
The accused include Chhabilal Joshi, Ram Bahadur Khanal, Rabina Rimal, Bishal Gurung, Navin Achhami, Kavita Tamang, Deepak Lama, Asaraf Ali Siddiqui, Bhagwati Bamjan, Laxmi Prasad Poudel, Vigyan Rai, Netrapani Bastola, Shiv Bahadur Gurung, and Pragati Shrestha.
The case alleges a fraud of Rs 52.32 crore, with a compensation claim of Rs 38.09 crore. Several companies, including Gorkha Media Network, Nature Hub International, JB Group of Companies, Springwood State Housing, and Nature Nest, are implicated in misappropriating Sahara Cooperative funds.
Previously, on Oct 8, a case was filed against 17 individuals, but Lamichhane was not initially named. The latest filing now includes him among the accused.
The total number of defendants in the case has reached 32, with 12 charged with organized crime and fraud and 20 with fraud alone.
Authorities are demanding compensation from key individuals, including Rs 41.3 lakh from Jivi Rai, Rs 3.2 crore from Asaraf Ali Siddiqui, and Rs 2.64 crore from Mahendra Bhote (Shiv Bahadur Gurung).
The court proceedings continue.
