KATHMANDU, Nov 5: The Kaski District Court has extended the judicial custody of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chairman and former managing director of Gorkha Media, Rabi Lamichhane, by an additional 10 days. This is the third time the court has extended the judicial remand for Lamichhane who was arrested from the party's central office in Kathmandu on October 18 for involvement in embezzling the funds of Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Cooperative.
According to the court's Information Officer Suraj Adhikari, a single bench of Judge Chandrakant Paudel permitted the police 10 more days to keep Lamichhane in judicial custody and investigate him on the charges of asset laundering, organized crime, and cooperative funds embezzlement.
Along with Lamichhane, the court granted the police permission to keep a former board member of Gorkha Media, Chhabilal Joshi, and two other suspects Leela Pachhai and Ram Bahadur Khanal, in judicial custody for additional 10 days. In connection with the cooperative case, former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Joshi was arrested on September 22 and has been in judicial custody since then. Khanal allegedly transferred Rs 30 million from Suryadarshan Cooperative to Nature Herbs International Pvt Ltd. where he is a director. Pachhai has been accused of transferring funds from the cooperative into her personal account.
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Earlier on Tuesday, police presented Lamichhane and Joshi at the Kaski District Court, seeking to extend their remand. The extension of Lamichhane's remand for the second time expired during the Tihar festival. He was presented at the court on Tuesday after the end of the holidays.
The police requested the court to extend the remand period, citing the need to complete the necessary documentation and record further statements. Based on the investigation conducted by the police, it has been revealed that Lamichhane traveled to Malaysia last March to meet GB Rai, the absconding chairman of Gorkha Media. Police sources have also reported unusual financial activities in Lamichhane's transactions.
As per police sources, the investigating team is examining Lamichhane's bank accounts and all transactions, suspecting he may have transferred funds abroad. Police have the authority to detain an accused for up to 90 days in case of investigations into money laundering charges.
Moreover, a supplementary complaint has been filed against him in Rupandehi, where an arrest warrant has been issued against him for allegedly embezzling the funds of Supreme Cooperative. The issuance of the warrant indicates that he will also be taken to Butwal for further statements after the investigation in Pokhara concludes.
As the police presented Lamichhane at the court for remand extension, RSP cadres protested and tried to enter a prohibited area. In response, the police fired four tear gas canisters and detained RSP members on the charge of entering the restricted area. Police personnel on duty also confiscated the key of a vehicle that the RSP leaders were using to chant slogans against the government. According to the police, the key of the vehicle was confiscated for attempting to enter a prohibited area.
As per the spokesperson for the District Police Office, Kaski, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Basanta Kumar Sharma, a total of 16 RSP cadres including seven men and nine women have been detained for beating up a police personnel in plain cloth mobilized to monitor the protest.
