KATHMANDU, April 2: A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court demanding action against the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane for the crime of misusing passport.
Yuvraj Paudel of Sindhuli filed the writ petition at the Supreme Court on Sunday urging the apex court to take appropriate action against Lamichhane.
Paudel said he decided to file the case against Lamichhane because the police did not take action against Lamichen after investigation while the public prosecutor’s office also didn’t take appropriate steps for passport misuse.
Writ petition filed against Rabi Lamichhane
The Attorney General's office has been made the defendant in the writ.
Rabi Lamichhane became an American citizen on February 21, 2014. Despite holding an American passport and being an American citizen, he acquired a Nepali passport on May 27, 2015.
Paudel in his writ argued that there is no provision for dual citizenship in Nepal and a Nepali citizen’s citizenship is automatically canceled after acquiring foreign citizenship.
Lamichhane's act of obtaining a Nepali passport by giving false information that he is a Nepali citizen after becoming an American citizen is a criminal and punishable act of misusing the passport. Thus, the petitioner took the matter to the Supreme Court after the Office of the Attorney General decided not to file a case against Lamichhane on 20th March 2023 .
