Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman, Rabi Lamichhane, has been arrested following an order from the District Court in Kaski on Friday.

The former Home Minister was apprehended by the police in connection with a cooperative fraud case. A parliamentary inquiry committee on cooperative fraud found him guilty of misappropriating funds and had recommended legal action.

He is accused of embezzling funds (or bearing knowledge of the embezzlement) from the cooperative during his tenure as Managing Director of Gorkha Media Network. Lamichhane denies both accusations, and has stated that he has neither embezzled, nor did he have any knowledge about the embezzlement. Nonetheless, the parliamentary committee said that Lamichhane’s signature in associated documents suggests that Lamichhane should be aware of the scam.

Former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Chabilal Joshi, who was a partner along with Rai and Lamichhane, was arrested on September 22. GB Rai, the president of Gorkha Media, is currently absconding.

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