POKHARA: Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane, arrested in connection with a cooperative fraud case, has urged the court to allow him to fight the case from outside custody.
During a remand hearing at the Kaski District Court before Judge Himlal Belbase, Lamichhane assured the court on Sunday that he would not flee and instead fight for the victims of the cooperative fraud.
While the court extended his custody by 15 days, Lamichhane argued that detaining him would cause further injustice to the victims.
Lamichhane, along with his associates—former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, Leela Pacha, and businessman Ram Bahadur Khanal—is under investigation for cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering.
“I am a soldier fighting against injustice. While I can defend myself, who will speak up for the cooperative victims?” he said. “If I am out, I can amplify their voices. I won’t flee or destroy any evidence.”
Lamichhane claimed that no cooperative fraud cases were brought to his attention during his tenure at Galaxy Television.
He alleged that the accusations surfaced only after he entered politics as an act of political retaliation.
Meanwhile, his associate Joshi denied allegations of tampering with evidence, stating that a server found in a rented property was falsely linked to him.
Lamichhane’s legal team argued that his custody was unnecessary for the investigation and that he should be allowed to remain outside while the process continues.
The government prosecutors, however, sought an additional 25-day extension, citing the need for further investigation within the legal timeframe.
The court ultimately granted a 15-day extension, marking the fifth remand for Lamichhane and the seventh for Joshi.
Lamichhane has been in custody for 36 days, while Joshi has been held for 62 days.
Lamichhane is expected to be taken to Kathmandu and Chitwan for further statements during this period before returning to the Kaski court on December 8.
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