The Kaski District Court has extended the custody of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane by 15 days.
According to the court’s information officer Suraj Adhikari, a bench of Judge Himlal Belbase on Sunday granted permission to the police to keep Lamichhane in custody for another 15 days.
District Police Office, Kaski, is investigating Lamichhane for misappropriation of cooperative savings, organized crime, and money laundering.
The court had earlier extended Lamichhane’s custody by 13 days on November 10.
Lamichhane was produced before the court on Sunday for a fifth extension of his remand.
A team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police led by SP Habindra Bogati arrested Lamichhane from the party’s central office in Chamati of Kathmandu on October 18 after the Kaski District Court issued an arrest warrant for Lamichhane and 13 others on request of Kaski Police earlier that day. He was brought to Pokhara the same night.
Lamichhane was initially remanded to custody for six days. On October 24, the Kaski District Court extended his custody by seven days.
On November 5, the court extended Lamichhane’s custody by 10 days effective from the start of the Tihar holidays.
In the meantime, Lamichhane was also taken to Rupandehi and his statement recorded after an arrest warrant was issued for him in Rupandehi.
The Kathmandu District Court has also issued an arrest warrant for three people including Lamichhane. Police have already brought two of them – former deputy inspector general Chhabi Lal Joshi and Kumar Ramtel – to Kathmandu and recorded their statements. Joshi was sent back to Kask on Friday.
Preparations are underway to bring Lamichhane to Kathmandu as well.
On Friday, the Chitwan District Court also issued an arrest warrant for Lamichhane.
