KATHMANDU: The Secretariat of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has refuted reports claiming that a complaint filed with the Judicial Council against Rabi Lamichhane was prepared inside the Home Minister’s office on the same day Lamichhane’s cooperative fraud case was scheduled for a court hearing in Rupandehi District Court.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Home Minister’s personal secretary, Badri Prasad Tiwari, dismissed such claims as false, misleading, fabricated, and baseless, alleging they were intended to influence the court and tarnish the Minister’s image.
The Secretariat accused certain individuals of deliberately making such statements with malicious intent to falsely implicate the Home Minister. It emphasized that Minister Lekhak remains sensitive to the jurisdiction and independence of respected institutions like the judiciary and the Judicial Council.
“There has been no action nor will there be any in the future that undermines the dignity of the judiciary,” the statement read.
Earlier, on July 26, Advocate Ramesh Bahadur Rawal had filed a complaint at the Judicial Council accusing Lamichhane of engaging in various financial irregularities and interfering in judicial matters during his tenure in journalism. The complaint was filed while Lamichhane remains in custody at Bhairahawa Prison, awaiting trial in the cooperative fraud case.
Following the filing, Rawal faced criticism for allegedly being close to the Home Minister. In his complaint, Rawal accused Lamichhane of using his position, access, and influence to sway cases pending in various courts. He alleged that a petition filed on behalf of Lamichhane concealed certain charges, misled the court, and prematurely predicted the verdict in a case involving 22 defendants, aiming to reduce liability and financial penalties for a select few, including Lamichhane.
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