The organized crime charge against Rabi Lamichhane has been withdrawn in a case pending in the Parsa District Court.
On Tuesday, a bench of Judge Mohan Subedi dropped the organized crime charge while retaining the charge of cooperative fraud related to the misappropriation of funds from Sano Paila Cooperative.
According to the court’s registrar Prabhakar Kumar Mallik, Lamichhane now faces only the cooperative fraud charge in the case.
“The cooperative fraud charge remains. The organized crime charge has been withdrawn,” Mallik said.
The court based its decision primarily on the fact that the complainants had not made any claim under the organized crime charge. It suggested that dropping this charge would facilitate repayment of funds to the victims.
The order states that although the original charge sheet included organized crime allegations, the complainants themselves had not demanded prosecution on that basis. Instead, it adds, the primary concern was ensuring swift and easy recovery of funds for the victims.
The order further notes that if the amendment is not made, the victims and the defendant would not be able to reach a settlement, thereby complicating the process of recovering the claimed amount.
According to the order, removing the charge may facilitate agreements between victims and defendants and make it easier for depositors to recover their losses.
The order further states that the request for amendment does not appear to serve any personal interest and is favorable to the rights of both the cooperative victims and the defendants.
This is not the first time charges against Lamichhane have been withdrawn.
Previously, the Kaski District Court also approved the withdrawal of money laundering and organized crime charges filed against him in a separate cooperative-related case.
