KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress proportional lawmaker Maya Rai has been formally charged in connection with the large-scale savings fraud involving the Suryadarshan Cooperative, based in Kalimati, Kathmandu.
The case, which also implicates Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane, centers on the alleged embezzlement of over Rs 1.19 billion from more than 690 depositors.
Rai, who was arrested in Kathmandu on Baisakh 13, has been charged with two offenses: cooperative fraud and organized crime.
The Kathmandu District Government Attorney’s Office filed the case on Tuesday at the Kathmandu District Court, seeking Rs 3.7 million in compensation through supplementary prosecution.
Originally from Bhojpur, Rai is a central committee member of the Nepali Congress under the indigenous cluster and is considered close to party president Sher Bahadur Deuba. She previously served as the deputy secretary of the Suryadarshan Cooperative’s board.
Rai appeared in court on Tuesday but was returned to police custody. Detention hearings are scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Initially, Rai and four others were not included in the first round of prosecution that targeted 39 people, including Lamichhane. The government faced public backlash for selectively prosecuting opposition figures while sparing others. Her arrest and subsequent indictment followed mounting pressure to ensure accountability across party lines.
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