Hearing on Writ Petition for Suspension of Home Minister Lamichhane Cancelled

Today’s scheduled hearing on the writ petition demanding the suspension of Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has been abruptly cancelled. The hearing, which was set to be presided over by Judges Binod Sharma and Manoj Kumar Sharma, was called off due to a legal conflict involving Judge Sharma.

Judge Manoj Kumar Sharma, who was part of the joint bench, had previously issued an order related to the case, leading to the cancellation of today’s proceedings. In a recent development, a separate bench comprising Justices Manoj Kumar Sharma and Til Prasad Shrestha had directed the summoning of a charge sheet from Rupandehi District Court concerning allegations mentioned in the petition against Lamichhane.

The petition, filed by advocate Anupama Bhattarai, raises concerns over Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in a cooperative fraud scandal, citing his name in a charge sheet alongside details of loans taken. The judiciary aims to resolve any potential confusion surrounding the cooperative fraud case, specifically involving GB Rai, as per the directive given earlier by Justices Sharma and Shrestha.

Advocate Bhattarai’s writ seeks Lamichhane’s suspension from his ministerial position during the ongoing investigation, expressing fears that his current roles could influence the legal process unfairly. The writ also targets the Attorney General’s Office, challenging a letter stating no fraud case against Lamichhane exists.