Former Home Minister and president of Rastriya Swatantra Party Rabi Lamichhane, is still in police custody as hearing in the Swarnalakshmi Cooperative fraud case involving Lamichhane continues. He is likely to remain in the custody at least for few more days.
Although his statement was recorded on Sunday, the Kathmandu District Court has yet to conclude the hearing.
Judge Madhav Prasad Adhikari’s bench ordered the continued custody, citing pending arguments from Lamichhane’s defence group. “Tuesday is a public holiday of Maghi, so the court will resume the hearing on Wednesday,” said a court official.
The case against Ravi involves accusations of embezzlement of savings in the Kathmandu-based Swarnalakshmi Cooperative. Lamichhane appeared before the court on Sunday, following his earlier release on bail in a similar case involving Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Cooperative. The Kaski District Court had ordered his release on Thursday after paying Rs6.5 million in bail. Lamichhane has been in detention for more than three months as the police continued interrogating him in organized crime, money laundering and cooperative fund misappropriation cases.