Rabi faces potential arrest following Chhabi's statement

Kathmandu, September 22 — After the arrest of former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, Rabi Lamichhane, president of the Rashtriya Swotantra Party (RSP) and former Home Minister, has called his party workers to the party office. Party workers have gathered in Banasthali, Ward No. 16 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Following the gathering, a police team led by DSPs from Balaju and the Sohrakhutte Police Circle has been dispatched to Banasthali.

However, today (Sunday), senior police officials have stated that Rabi Lamichhane will not be arrested from Balaju. A high-ranking official from the police headquarters said, "The second phase of investigation regarding the embezzlement of funds from Surya Darshan Cooperative has begun. Further investigation will proceed after taking Chhabilal's statement." The police have indicated that Lamichhane will only be arrested after Chhabilal's statement.

Former DIG Joshi, former Home Minister Lamichhane, and the founding chairman of Surya Darshan Cooperative, Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai, are business partners. Their operated Gorkha Media Network has been implicated in a parliamentary special investigation committee’s conclusion that 655.4 million Nepali Rupees was illegally acquired from five cooperatives led by Surya Thapa.

Lamichhane was a director of Gorkha Media Network. Millions of rupees illegally obtained from the cooperative were disbursed via checks signed by him. After taking an initial statement from Joshi, the police are preparing to arrest Lamichhane.

On Sunday, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak directed IGP Basant Kunwar to implement the parliamentary investigation committee’s report.

Following the minister's directive, a team from the Valley Crime Investigation Branch arrested former DIG Joshi in Baneshwar and sent him to Kaski. The police are preparing to file supplementary charges against Lamichhane. The police headquarters has instructed Kaski police to prepare supplementary charges based on the recommendations of the parliamentary investigation committee.

Previously, victims had filed supplementary complaints alleging that Lamichhane and former Vice President’s son Deepesh Pun were involved in the embezzlement of funds from Surya Darshan Cooperative located in Ward No. 5 of Pokhara Metropolitan City. Based on this complaint, Pokhara Metropolitan City has conducted a study on the embezzlement of funds and has already submitted a technical report to the police.

The parliamentary investigation committee has concluded that Lamichhane was involved in the process of spending and managing the funds irregularly transferred to the Gorkha Media Network’s account from the savings of the cooperative’s depositors.

Based on the committee’s recommendations, supplementary charges are being prepared against Gorkha Media’s directors Kumar Ramtel, Chhabilal Joshi, and managing director Lamichhane. A case against Giteendra Babu Rai, chairman of Gorkha Media, is currently under consideration in Kaski District Court. A red notice has been issued through Interpol for his arrest. Kumar Ramtel, the treasurer of Surya Darshan Cooperative, has already been arrested and is currently in custody pending trial.

Police investigations have concluded that 1.08 billion Nepali Rupees has been embezzled from Surya Darshan.