Police arrest former interior minister and RSP leader Rabi Lamichhane

On Friday evening, police arrested former deputy home minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Rabi Lamichhane in connection with an investigation into cooperative fraud and organized crime allegations.

A police team deployed by the Central Investigation Bureau arrested him from his party’s headquarters in Banasthali, Kathmandu. He is being taken to Pokhara for trial as the case has been filed with the Kaski district police.

The team led by Police Commissioner Hobindra Bogati is preparing to take him to Pokhara by road.

After the arrest warrant was issued, Lamichhane posted his anger against the government on social media and expressed his commitment to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Lamichhane criticized the government for its alleged hypocrisy, saying corrupt leaders were being protected while ordinary citizens like him were facing unfair charges.

“The government has died and we are mourning. Your watch is worth millions while I’m wearing handcuffs. You serve as an intermediary, wearing expensive glasses and shoes given to you by smugglers, while I bear the burden of the accusations. They are taking land worth millions from proven corrupt individuals and I am being accused of fraud,” Lamichhane wrote on social media.

Lamichhane accused the government of using its power to protect its leaders and failing to hold corrupt figures to account, even in the face of clear evidence. He also accused the ruling leaders of trying to protect their leaders, denying justice to the general public and victims of corruption.

“Now we will lead the voice of cooperative victims. In your appreciation of power, I pledge to fully support the law and ensure that justice is served. Your actions will bring the country to ruin, but we will bring about change. People will act and soon they will make their voices heard.”

Lamichhane also expressed confidence in his party and its role in this fight, telling his supporters: “To my RSP family, hold your head high. Your leader has not betrayed anyone.”

Today, the Kaski District Court allowed police to arrest former Lamichhane. The bench also enabled police to arrest 13 more people: Bishal Tamang, Navin Achami, Rabina Rimail, Ashraf Ali Siddiqui, Dipak Lama, Ananta Babu Rai, Ram Bahadur Khanal, Devendra Babu Rai, Bigyan Rai, Om Prakash Gurung, Bir Bahadur Ranabhat, Deepa Neupane and Kalpana Kumari Shrestha – in connection with the same charges.

Earlier, the Kaski District Police Office had sent a letter to the Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau requesting it to arrest Lamichhane for investigation into cooperative fraud and organized crime. The letter was addressed to the CIB, Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office and Kathmandu District Police Range.

In May, a special parliamentary committee was formed to investigate crisis-hit cooperatives. The committee’s report concluded that Lamichhane was involved in the misappropriation of millions of rupees poured into the Gorkha Media Network from various cooperatives when he was the managing director of the now-defunct media company that ran Galaxy 4K Television before he switched to politics. The report also blames several others for their roles in the cooperative fraud.

The committee’s report calls for legal action against former deputy prime minister and home minister Lamichhane and several others.

According to the report, over Rs 63 billion were embezzled from cooperative owners of various crisis-hit cooperatives across the country. It recommended that four people be prosecuted, including Lamichhane, the then managing director of Gorkha Media Network; Chairman Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai; a board member Kumar Ramtel; and first founder of the company Chhabi Lal Joshi.

Joshi, a former deputy inspector general of the Nepal Police, was arrested in Kathmandu a month ago. However, Lamichhane and Rastriya Swatantra Party leaders deny any wrongdoing.

The special investigative committee was formed on May 28. The seven-member committee was formed at the request of Nepal’s then largest opposition Congress, which had demanded such a committee to investigate cooperative fraud and even obstructed parliamentary proceedings that called for it.

Joshi, a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Nepal Police, is currently in custody.