Rabi Lamichhane's bail hearing ongoing, government attorneys demand remand

Kathmandu, January 13 — The detention hearing of Rabi Lamichhane, the president of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is underway at the Kathmandu District Court, where the debate continues on whether he should be kept in custody or granted bail.

Lamichhane appeared in court on Sunday after charges were filed against him for embezzlement of funds from Swarnalakshmi Multi-purpose Cooperative.

On Monday, the debate on his detention continued, with government prosecutors presenting their arguments.

District Public Prosecutor Khadindra Raj Katwal, along with lawyers Chandra Sanjel, Santosh Raj Katwal, Radhika Suwal, and Bina Khadka, have all argued that Lamichhane should be kept in custody until further investigation. They cited the evidence currently available, which they believe justifies his detention.

Khadindra Raj Katwal presented evidence in court showing that Lamichhane had withdrawn 49 million rupees from the cooperative using various checks.

Additionally, he highlighted that 2.65 million rupees from Swarnalakshmi Cooperative had been transferred to Gorkha Media.

The prosecutor also mentioned that Lamichhane and GB Rai had opened a joint account for an auto loan, which further raises suspicions.