KATHMANDU, Despite social media speculation that Rabi Lamichhane, chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, the fourth largest party in parliament, and former deputy prime minister and home minister, is about to be arrested, a Nepal Police spokesperson told the Himalayan Times that “there is no such situation now.”
Nepal Police spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki has stated that ‘there is no need to make any preparations for arrest if necessary during the investigation.’
“If there is something that needs to be clarified with him, the matter will proceed,” said spokesperson Karki.
“No arrest warrant has been issued so far to arrest Rabi Lamichhane,” said a Kaski District Court source who agreed to speak with the Himalayan Times on condition of anonymity.
“However, if police are required to record his statement, they could bring him in and question him about cooperative fraud,” he said.
Last week, the parliamentary Special Committee of Inquiry recommended that action be taken against those involved, including Lamichhane, because he was “responsible” for misappropriating funds deposited by ordinary depositors in various cooperatives.
Following the arrest of one of them, Chhabilal Joshi, there is speculation among people that Lamichhane would also be arrested. Joshi is a retired senior officer from the Nepal Police.
Lamichhane and his party leaders have claimed that he was “exonerated,” citing the committee’s inability to confirm his involvement in the embezzlement of cooperative funds.
Lamichhane addressed supporters at the party headquarters in Kathmandu on Sunday evening, saying that “the government can do anything” and that he “is not in a position to be complacent.”
Some legal scholars have argued that the parliamentary inquiry committee’s report does not establish “guilt or innocence” for anyone. However, on Monday, his supporters and opponents demonstrated separately in Pokhara.
On the other hand, following the recommendation of the committee, former Deputy Inspector General of Police Chhabilal Joshi, who was a partner in the Gorkha Media Network, was arrested by the police on Sunday. On Monday, the Kaski District Court granted the police permission to detain him for five days to investigate.
Owner Gitendrababu (GB) Rai, who invested in Gorkha Media from several cooperatives, is absconding, while another partner, Kumar Ramtel, is currently in jail.
After the Council of Ministers submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs recommending action against those accused of misappropriating cooperative savings, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak directed the police to implement it.
The report prepared by the special committee chaired by MP Surya Thapa recommends taking action against those directly and indirectly involved in the embezzlement of savings from 40 cooperative organisations across Nepal.
According to reports, some of them are on security agencies’ fugitive lists.
The committee also concluded that Rabi Lamichhane violated the law by acquiring a share of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd.
