KATHMANDU: Nepal Samajwadi Party (Naya Shakti) Chairman and former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has called for Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane to be released from custody while his case is being heard.
Speaking to the media after meeting Lamichhane at the Rupandehi District Jail in Bhairahawa on Thursday, Bhattarai said Lamichhane should have been granted the opportunity to defend himself from outside the prison.
“The final verdict has not yet been reached. He is currently in judicial custody, which is typically reserved for those deemed likely to abscond or commit further offenses,” Bhattarai said.
“But as a people’s representative, he poses no such threat. Therefore, it is my view that he should have been allowed to face the case while out on bail.”
Bhattarai met Lamichhane while en route to attend an extended provincial-level meeting of his party in Lumbini.
He also criticized the conditions of Lamichhane’s detention, saying they were worse than during the Panchayat era. “They’re not even providing newspapers or magazines. During the Panchayat regime, we were allowed to read those. When I asked the police, they said there was no directive on it,” he said.
“Even the living conditions are poor. Though it is a prison, there should at least be some open space. I will raise these concerns with the relevant authorities.”
Lamichhane is currently in Rupandehi District Jail facing trial on charges related to financial fraud in the Supreme Cooperative case.
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