KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane, currently in custody at Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur in connection with the cooperative fraud case, has complained that he was kept under solitary-confinement-like conditions during his stay in Bhairahawa Prison.
Lamichhane shared his concerns with CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ during their conversation on Wednesday evening at Nakkhu Prison.
According to Prachanda, Lamichhane described his time in Bhairahawa as “like being kept inside a solitary cell,” adding that his health had deteriorated during that period. Prachanda noted that Lamichhane appeared thinner but in a relatively better state since being transferred to Nakkhu.
Lamichhane, who has been imprisoned for over four months, has also faced health issues linked to a lack of sunlight exposure. A medical team from Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital visited Nakkhu Prison earlier this week after he showed signs of vitamin D deficiency. While there had been concerns about jaundice, doctors confirmed that the main issue was vitamin deficiency caused by prolonged confinement without access to sunlight.
A party leader close to Lamichhane said he was kept in a dark cell in Bhairahawa, unable to get fresh air or sunlight, which worsened his health condition.
What is ‘Golghar’?
In Nepal’s prison system, ‘Golghar’ refers to a special high-security solitary confinement unit used under strict monitoring.
Conditions in Golghar are far more restrictive than ordinary prison cells. Freedom of movement and communication is severely limited, interactions with others are restricted, and while basic necessities such as food, water, and healthcare are provided, they remain tightly controlled.
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