KATHMANDU: The cooperative fraud case against Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane has been postponed at the Butwal High Court on Thursday.
The case, involving Lamichhane and his associate Chhabilal Joshi, former director of Gorkha Media Network and ex-Deputy Inspector General of Police, was scheduled for hearing before Judges Tej Narayan Paudel and Sagar Bista of the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court.
However, the hearing was deferred because a relative of Judge Bista appeared as a lawyer in the case, creating a conflict of interest.
Lamichhane and Joshi are in custody in Butwal over allegations of embezzlement and organized crime related to the Supreme Cooperative case. Both have filed petitions to be released on bail equivalent to the amount of the embezzled funds.
The hearings for Lamichhane and Joshi’s case have been repeatedly adjourned since October 30, and the case is still pending final adjudication.
During this period, Lamichhane, currently held at Nakkhu Jail, has been actively engaging with media and political figures, including former judges, prompting widespread media attention and discussions about the case.
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