KATHMANDU: Rabi Lamichhane, chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, will remain in custody at the Kathmandu District Police Range until Wednesday.
Although the argument on his remand concluded from his defense’s side, the complainant’s arguments remain incomplete. Consequently, Judge Madhav Prasad Adhikari has handed Lamichhane over to police custody.
During the remand hearing on Monday, Lamichhane requested the court to send him home instead of keeping him in custody. Despite his plea, the court ordered his continued detention until a decision is made.
The case is being heard at the single bench of Judge Adhikari at the Kathmandu District Court. On Sunday, the court had issued a similar order, and Lamichhane was placed in VIP custody at the Kathmandu Police Range.
Lamichhane arrived at the court early Monday morning, but as the hearing remained incomplete, the order to keep him in custody was extended.
If the court demands bail, similar to the Kaski District Court’s previous decision, Lamichhane could secure his release. However, if the court opts for judicial custody, his legal troubles will deepen.
Lamichhane was arrested on October 18 in connection with the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case. After 84 days in custody, he was released on Thursday after depositing a bail amount of Rs 6.5 million.
Following his release in Pokhara, Lamichhane appeared at the Kathmandu District Court on Sunday to address allegations related to financial misappropriation at the Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative in Kalimati.
The Kathmandu District Police Range recommended charges against Lamichhane and 39 others on January 5. They are accused of embezzling Rs 1.19 billion from 690 depositors in connection with the cooperative.
On Monday, the complainant’s arguments were presented by senior advocates Dinesh Tripathi, Swagat Nepal, and Surendra Bhandari, while Lamichhane’s defense was represented by senior advocates Raman Shrestha and Sushil Pant.
Before Monday’s hearing, Judge Adhikari directed the prosecution to conclude their arguments within two hours and Lamichhane’s defense within 75 minutes. However, the time limits were exceeded, resulting in the extension of Lamichhane’s custody until Wednesday.
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