Case against Home Minister Lamichhane deferred again

KATHMANDU: The writ petition against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has been deferred once again.

The Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday did not result in a final order.

The case, filed by advocate Anupam Bhattarai, was scheduled for a decision after Tuesday’s hearing but has been postponed for another day.

Previously, on June 21, the hearing on the writ petition before Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Sharanga Subedi was also deferred.

This case has faced multiple deferrals.

Advocate Bhattarai had filed the writ demanding the suspension of Lamichhane from his ministerial position to ensure an impartial investigation into a cooperative fraud case.

Bhattarai argued that an unbiased investigation into the fraud allegations could not be conducted while Lamichhane remained in office.

On June 28, Justices Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma and Til Prasad Shrestha ordered that documents related to the cooperative fraud case involving Lamichhane be obtained.

The court prioritized the case and ordered the retrieval of files from the Rupandehi District Court concerning the cooperative fraud case numbered 080-c1-0987, involving Gitendra Babu Rai (GB Rai) and others.

The political landscape shifted on Monday night when the ruling coalition broke, and cooperation between the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML increased, leading to speculation about the impact on Lamichhane’s case.

Amid various uncertainties, the Supreme Court proceeded with the hearing but ultimately deferred the case once more.