Rabi Lamichhane among seven released on bail in cooperative fraud case

GANDAKI: The Kaski District Court has ordered the release of seven people, including Rabi Lamichhane, the President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, on bail.

The accused are facing charges of embezzling the funds of Suryadarshan Cooperatives in Pokhara.
A single bench of Judge Nitij Rai on Thursday issued an order to release Lamichhane on a  bail amount of Rs  6.5 million.
Other people who are granted bail as per the court’s order include Chhabilal Joshi (Rs. 8.8 million), Leela Pachhai (Rs. 3.7 million), Mina Gurung (Rs. 500,000), Ram Bahadur Khanal (Rs. 1.5 million), Arati Guring (Rs. 500,000), and Krishna Bahadur Gurung (Rs. 100,000), according to court’s registrar, Rajan Khanal. The order followed a 10-day hearing on whether to extend the remand for further investigation. On December 22-last month- the District Attorney Office in Kaski had filed charge sheets against 44 people, including Lamichhane, the former Home Minister, in connection with the misappropriation of cooperative funds. To date, 63 individuals are facing charges in the case. —–