Recommendation to make 51 including Lamichhane defendant

By Phadindra Adhikari, Lekhnath, Dec.17: The Kaski District Police have submitted an investigation report to the District Government Attorney's Office, recommending charges against former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane in three cases, on Monday.

The police submitted the report on Monday afternoon before the deadline of five days extended on December 12.

Along with Lamichhane, former Deputy Inspector General Chhabilal Joshi, Leela Pachhai, Ram Bahadur Khanal, and Krishna Bahadur Gurung are under police custody for allegedly embezzling savings from the Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Cooperative. Lamichhane was arrested on November 18 from Kathmandu.

Earlier, a case has been registered in the Kaski district court and a supplementary report has been submitted against 19 people who are under consideration.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Basanta Kumar Sharma, Information Officer of the District Police Office Kaski, also, an Investigation Officer of the Suryadarshan Cooperative Case informed that the supplementary report was submitted on December 11 and the additional report was submitted on Monday.

The report recommended that 51 people, including Lamichhane, be made defendants. "65 people are being investigated but we have recommended 51 people to be made defendants for the investigation.

 DSP Sharma said, "Five people are in the cell and nine others are in the custody of the Kaski police among those who have been made opponents.  He is in custody pending trial."

 Kaski District Attorney Kamala Kafle said that two reports have been received and are under investigation.

Attorney's Office will decide filing a case or not based on the study and analysis of the submitted report.

"If it is decided to proceed with the case, the charge sheet will be prepared based on the police report," said Kafle, "the report will not be prepared on Tuesday. We are expecting of extension of the deadline needed to prepare the report.”

Lamichhane has been recommended to be persecuted under cases of cooperative fraud, organised crime, and money laundering.

A report has been submitted naming 51 people, including those who have been arrested and those who are yet to be arrested, as defendants.

As per the police official, around NRs 1.51 billion has also been claimed from the defendants. The police investigated the defendants based on a supplementary complaint filed on February 5.

Former DIG Joshi was arrested on September 22, and Pachhai on September 25. Lamichhane was arrested from the party office in Kathmandu on October 18 and taken to Pokhara the same day. Similarly, Khanal was arrested on October 25.

They are being investigated for embezzlement of savings of Sahara Cooperative in Chitwan, Supreme Cooperative in Rupandehi, Sano Paila Cooperative in Parsa, and Swarna Laxmi Cooperative in Kathmandu.

Investigations are also ongoing against all four of them in Chitwan, Rupandehi, Parsa, and Kathmandu.