Supreme Court to Hear Case on Withdrawal of Charges Against Rabi Lamichhane

The Supreme Court is set to hear the writ petition today (Monday) against the withdrawal of the charge sheet filed against Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane concerning cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering cases.

Previously, a bench comprising Justices Saranga Subedi and Sunil Kumar Pokharel had ordered the summoning of the file related to the correction of the decision to amend Lamichhane's case. The hearing is resuming today after the Office of the Attorney General submitted the file concerning the amendment of the decision to withdraw Lamichhane's case to the Supreme Court as requested, on Sunday.

Attorney General Savita Bhandari had directed the District Government Attorney's Offices to amend the cases of cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering pending against Lamichhane in various districts.

Later, Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi, law students Ayush Badal, and Yuvraj Poudel filed a writ petition against that decision. In the seven-page 'Comment and Order' endorsed by Attorney General Bhandari on Poush 30, District Government Attorney's Offices were directed to proceed with the case against Lamichhane only for cooperative fraud and drop the other two serious charges.

Although applications were submitted to the Kaski and Rupandehi District Courts following Attorney General Bhandari's directive, the hearing could not proceed as the case is sub judice in the Supreme Court. In accordance with the directive, the government attorney's offices in Kathmandu and Parsa have not yet filed applications in the District Courts to amend the charge sheet against Lamichhane and others.