Lamichhane and Joshi presented before court

By Phanindra Adhikari, Lekhnath, Oct.24: The Former Ministry of Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane and former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Chhabilal Joshi, who are accused of misappropriating cooperative savings fraud, have been produced before Kaski, District Court, to extend the remand. 

Lamichhane, President of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party, is accused of being involved in a scam of illegally transferring the savings of Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Saving and Cooperative Limited to Gorkha Media Network. 

It is alleged that Lamichhane when he was the then Managing Director of Gorkha Media Network, embezzled the cooperative's savings by taking it to the said media,

Both Lamichhane and Joshi served as Managing Directors of Gorkha Media Network. 

According to the parliamentary committee report, at least 655 million in savings of Suryadarshan of Pokhara and other cooperatives dwindled. 

Lamichhane was taken to Pokhara from Kathmandu on October 18 and the questioning started on October 20. 

 Kamala Kafle, the head of the District Attorney's Office in Kaski, said that documents and evidence are being collected in the Lamichhane case. 

Another owner of Surya Darshan, Chhabilal Joshi, was arrested from Kathmandu on October 6 and brought to Pokhara.

 Joshi was arrested and brought to Kaski on September 22 by the police after receiving information about his planning to flee abroad. 

Rupandehi police investigated Joshi in another co-operative fraud case and brought him to Kaski on September 25.

After the arrest, both cadres of RSP and cooperatives victims are demonstrating daily in Pokhara. The co-operatives victims have been accused of being threatened by the RSP leaders by going house to house of victims. 

RSP is all set to demonstrate in Shahid Chowk, near Kaski District Court and District Administration Office, Pokhara. While the victims are set to demonstrate at Mustang Chowk. 

According to the President of RSP Gandaki Rajan Gautam, they will demonstrate peacefully at Shahid Chowk. 

The detained are being presented before Kaski District Court to extend the remand on Thursday. 

Coordinator of the struggle committee Kiran Shrestha said that they are going to demonstrate demanding fair investigation and return of savings.