Kaski Court extends custody of RSP chair Lamichhane

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 24: The Kaski District Court has granted permission to keep Ravi Lamichhane, the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), in custody for an additional seven days on charges of misappropriating cooperative funds.

He was arrested last Friday in Kathmandu and taken to Kaski for allegedly embezzling public money deposited in the Surya Darshan Savings and Credit Cooperative. On Sunday, the court extended his custody for six days (from the date of arrest) to allow for further investigation. After that period ended, he was presented in court today.  A single bench of Justice Chandrakant Paudel authorized the police to hold him in custody for the said number of days for further investigation.

Lamichhane, who is also former deputy prime minister-cum- home minister, is accused of improperly bringing funds from various cooperatives into Gorkha Media, the operator of Galaxy Television, in which he served as managing director. These cooperatives include Surya Darshan Savings and Credit Cooperative, Sahara Multipurpose Cooperative, Supreme Savings and Credit Cooperative, and Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative. The company’s director, Giten Babu (GB) Rai, is currently at large. His business partner, Chhabilal Joshi Banjade, is also in custody at the Kaski police station.