High Court Sends RSP Chief Rabi Lamichhane to Custody, Confirms Pre-Trial Detention of Ex-DIG Joshi

The Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court has ordered Rastriya Swatantra Party President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane to be remanded in custody for pre-trial detention, overturning an earlier decision by the Rupandehi District Court that had released him on bail.

The ruling was issued by a joint bench of Justices Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli, following an appeal filed by Lamichhane against the lower court’s decision. The District Court had previously granted him release on a bail amount of Rs 10 million in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Supreme Cooperative Fraud and Organized Crime case in Butwal.

In the same case, the High Court also ruled to uphold the custody order against former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Chhabilal Joshi. The decision, made by Justices Ramesh Dhakal and Swikriti Parajuli, affirms the Rupandehi District Court’s earlier order to keep Joshi in detention pending trial.

Both Lamichhane and Joshi are under investigation for their alleged involvement in one of the country’s high-profile cooperative fraud and organized crime cases.