RUPANDEHI: Rupandehi District Court has clarified that no decision has been made yet regarding the government’s request to withdraw the organized crime and money laundering case against Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane and his associates, who are also facing a cooperative scam case.
The clarification comes after reports claimed that a district judge had rejected the government’s request to withdraw the case.
Krishna Prasad Paudel, the court’s tehsildar, said that the government’s request can only be considered after the Supreme Court delivers a final ruling on a related writ petition. A bench had issued an order on January 20 directing that the petition should only be presented once the Supreme Court’s decision is finalized.
Paudel explained, “The Office of the Attorney General requested the district government attorney to withdraw charges of organized crime and money laundering while keeping the cooperative scam case intact. However, since a writ petition is pending in the Supreme Court, the district court will act only after the Supreme Court issues its interim or final order. The case has not been rejected; it is still under consideration.”
He added that news reports suggesting otherwise, nine days after the hearing on January 20 were incorrect. The matter will be decided only once the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.
According to Paudel, on January 20, the bench of Judge Shyamlal Ghimire had ordered that “as a writ petition is under consideration in the Supreme Court, the request should be submitted only after the final decision on the interim order.”
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