POKHARA: The Kaski District Court has ordered the custody of Rabi Lamichhane, Chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and former Home Minister, for six days to facilitate further investigation into allegations of cooperative fund embezzlement and organized crime.
Lamichhane was taken into custody by a Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) team from his party office in Kathmandu on Friday and was later transported to Pokhara, where he appeared before the court on Sunday.
Judge Navaraj Dahal approved the six-day remand in response to a police request.
He, along with others, is accused of misappropriating funds from the Suryadarshan Savings and Credit Cooperative located in Pokhara.
This arrest came after a parliamentary investigation revealed links between him and others in the embezzlement of millions of rupees from the cooperative.
Previously, arrest warrants were issued for 14 individuals, and investigations are ongoing into their roles.
To date, over 60 individuals have been linked to the cooperative's financial misconduct, with seven, including Chhabilal Joshi, the director of Gorkha Media Network, currently in custody awaiting trial.
Protests have erupted in Pokhara both supporting and opposing Lamichhane, with RSP supporters calling for his release, while victims of the cooperative's fraud are demanding his detention for continued investigations.
In response to the ongoing demonstrations, local police are maintaining a heightened state of alert to avert any potential clashes, and the District Administration Office in Kaski issued a prohibitory order on Sunday afternoon to mitigate tensions between the opposing groups.
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