BUTWAL, Jan 20: A supplementary prosecution case has been filed in the Rupandehi District Court against Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane and former DIG Chhabilal Joshi in connection with the Supreme Saving and Credit Cooperative fraud. The Rupandehi District Attorney’s Office registered the case on Sunday, charging Lamichhane, Joshi, and 22 others with organized cooperative fraud.
The charge sheet includes a demand for Rs 41.5 million from Lamichhane and Rs 42.7 million from Joshi. Both individuals are linked to the Gorkha Media network, which is also under investigation as part of the fraud case.
Writ petition filed against Rabi Lamichhane
The case involves embezzlement allegations from 1,831 savers of the Supreme Cooperative in Butwal, who filed complaints in April 2023. The investigation revealed that over Rs 861.8 million was misappropriated from the cooperative, with an additional Rs 140 million traced to Gorkha Media Network. Following this, 14 more individuals, including Lamichhane and Joshi, were implicated.
A total of 42 people are expected to face charges, with Rs 1.12 billion being claimed from the defendants. A previous prosecution case against 17 individuals, including cooperative leaders Gitendra Babu Rai and Om Prakash Gurung, was filed last Friday.
