Rabi’s plea heard by Chief Justice-led bench
The petition had been deferred five times previously due to it being listed before justices who had declared conflicts of interest.
KATHMANDU: The habeas corpus petition filed by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is scheduled for hearing at the Supreme Court today.
After multiple postponements, the case has finally been placed before a bench comprising Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha and Justice Nityananda Pandey.
The petition had been deferred five times previously due to it being listed before justices who had declared conflicts of interest.
However, this sixth attempt has cleared that hurdle, with today’s bench deemed fit to hear the case.
Lamichhane is currently in judicial custody at Rupandehi Prison following an order by the High Court Tulsipur-Bhutwal on Chaitra 22, which overturned a lower court’s decision to release him on a bail of Rs 10 million in connection with the Supreme Cooperative fraud case.
The Office of the Attorney General had appealed the Rupandehi District Court’s initial decision, demanding equal treatment for all accused in the case.
In his habeas corpus petition, Lamichhane claims he was unlawfully detained and only transferred to prison three days after his arrest. He has requested the Supreme Court to annul the High Court’s remand order and release him immediately.
Meanwhile, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, also an accused in the same case, remains in custody at Rupandehi Prison. Authorities have argued that both should be treated equally under the law, citing similar charges.
