Swarnalakshmi Cooperative fraud: Rabi Lamichhane calls for dismissal of case

Kathmandu, January 15 — Rabi Lamichhane, the suspended president of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has called for the dismissal of the case against him in the Swarnalakshmi Cooperative fraud case.

He made this statement during the bail hearing at the Kathmandu District Court on Wednesday.

Lamichhane argued before the judge that the case should be dismissed as the process had not been completed. He reminded the court that his citizenship had been revoked due to incomplete procedures, and since this case followed a similar process, it too should be dismissed.

"In the absence of due process, my citizenship was revoked, and I had to obtain another one," Lamichhane said. "I am an example of what happens when the process is not completed, and this case should also be dismissed for the same reason."

He claimed that based on his popularity, he had been given a 15 percent share in the Gorkha Media Network and that he had only gone to the company registrar's office to sign the documents to complete the process.

The bail hearing for Lamichhane concluded on Wednesday, and a decision is expected today. Senior lawyers Sushil Panta and Raman Shrestha represented Lamichhane during the hearing, both asserting that he was innocent and should be allowed to face the case while out on bail.

After their arguments, government lawyers provided a rebuttal, and Senior Lawyers Surendra Bhandari and Dinesh Tripathi made their arguments on behalf of the victim.