POKHARA: Kaski District Court has granted bail to Rabi Lamichhane, the Chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and other accused individuals in the ongoing cooperative fraud case.
District Court Kaski Judge Nitij Rai issued the order on Thursday evening, following a week-long closed-door hearing that involved detailed arguments from both the plaintiff and the defense.
Judge Rai ordered Lamichhane’s release on a bail amount of Rs 6.5 million, according to the Registrar Rajan Khanal.
The hearing, which had been taking place since December 31, concluded after a series of presentations from both sides.
The District Government Attorney’s Office had filed charges against 44 individuals, including Lamichhane, on January 5.
Lamichhane, who was arrested in Kathmandu on October 18, had been in the custody of Kaski police since the following day.
Judge Rai’s decision to grant bail has provided relief to the Rastriya Swatantra Party, allowing Lamichhane and the other defendants to be released from custody. The case involves organized crime allegations, with 19 individuals accused of cooperative fraud.
In the wake of the court’s ruling, several prominent leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, including Acting Chair DP Aryal, Spokesperson Manish Jha, Deputy Parliamentary Party Leader Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, and MPs Hari Dhakal and Shiva Nepali, gathered in Pokhara to express their support.
Lamichhane’s wife, Nikita Poudel, was also seen in the court’s waiting room. The court premises were crowded with supporters from the RSP and Lamichhane’s party.
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