Former Home Minister’s Passport Case Investigation Begins

An investigation in response to a complaint related to the Former Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister and present Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane passort case has begun.

The Kathmandu District Government Attorney Office has begun an investigation.

“Today, we opened the case as we decided to call for related documents from the District Administration Office, Department of Immigration and Department of Passports,” a government attorney says, “Once we study the reports, we will forward the Rabi Lamichhane passport case to the police for further investigation.”

Lamichhane had obtained a Nepali passport using his invalid Nepali citizenship when he already had a United States passport.

However, he already submitted his Nepali passport to the Department of Passports after reacquiring Nepali citizenship from the District Administration Office, Kathmandu.

In 1994 Lamichhane received Nepali citizenship by descent. In March 2014(after 20 years) , he acquired American Citizenship.

So as per the Citizenship Act, he automatically lost the Nepali citizenship after receiving American citizenship.

Lamichhane returned back to Nepal in June 2014 and then in May next year.

Though Lamichhane in 2018 renounced his American citizenship, he didn’t apply to revive his Nepali citizenship.

In May 2015, he acquired a Nepali passport by using the citizenship he got in 1994, even though the citizenship certificate had been automatically invalidated in March 2014.

So, the Supreme Court had scrapped Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane’s status as a member of the House of Representatives saying that his failure to re-acquire Nepali citizenship after renouncing his United States citizenship prevented him from becoming a national lawmaker.

According to section 21 of the Passport Act, one who receives or attempts to get a passport or travel documents by submitting false details can be fined Rs200,000 to half a million rupees and imprisoned for one to three years or both.

If Lamichhane is found guilty, he might be barred from electoral politics for life.

Rabi Lamichhane, a former television personality rose into politics in the 2022 general elections. Before the election, a writ petition was filed against him claiming he wasn’t a Nepali citizen asking the Election Commission to void his candidacy.

Lamichhane had contested and won election of the House of Representatives (HoR) with a huge margin from Chitwan constituency 2.