Arrest warrant issued against Rabi Lamichhane

Kathmandu, October 18 — A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Rabi Lamichhane, the president of the Rashtriya Swotantra Party (RSP). The Kaski District Court has granted permission to the police to investigate allegations of embezzlement related to the Surya Darshan Cooperative. 

An official from the police headquarters has confirmed to Ratopati that the court has authorized the arrest of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Lamichhane. The District Police Office in Kaski is currently investigating a case in which Lamichhane allegedly misappropriated funds alongside Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai, the founding chairman of Surya Darshan Cooperative, through the Gorkha Media Network.

On September 22, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi was arrested on charges of embezzling funds from Surya Darshan. The police have already recorded his statement.

Former DIG Joshi, former Home Minister Lamichhane, and Gitendra Babu Rai are business partners. A parliamentary inquiry committee, led by Surya Thapa, concluded that they had illicitly received 655.4 million from five cooperatives through the Gorkha Media Network. Lamichhane was a director of Gorkha Media, where he allegedly spent the funds that were misappropriated.

It appears that Joshi distanced himself from Gorkha Media in 2021, while Lamichhane separated from it in 2022. Investigations by the police have revealed that the funds were illicitly acquired during their tenures there.

In his statement to the police, Joshi mentioned that disagreements arose after he attempted to mortgage his home, which led to his separation from Gorkha Media.