Ravi Lamichhane, chairman of the National Independent Party (RSWP) and former deputy prime minister and home minister, has been arrested for investigation in the co-operative fraud case.

A team led by SP Hobindra Bogti of the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police arrested him from the party office of RSVP in Banasthali. Lamichhane understood the arrest warrant and signed the paper at 18.45. He is now being taken to Pokhara by land.

District Court Kaski Judge Krishnajung Shah's bench gave permission to arrest Lamichhane on Friday. The court has issued an arrest warrant as requested by District Police Office Kaski to investigate Lamichhane.

After getting permission from the court to arrest, Kaski police  Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB), Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office and District Police Office had written to Kathmandu to arrest and send him. He was arrested by the police after receiving a letter from Kaski police. 

Lamichhane, who was also the managing director of Gorkha Media at the time, concluded that Lamichhane, along with Geetendrababu (GB) Rai, embezzled the money of the cooperative. The

report recommended an investigation against Gorkha Media Network's then Managing Director Lamichhane, Chairman GB Rai, then Vice Chairman and former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Nepal Police Chabilal Joshi and Director Kumar Ramtel for fraud, racketeering, organized crime and money laundering.&nbsp ; After that recommendation, Joshi was already arrested on October 6. He is now in pre-trial detention. 

Joshi was arrested from Shankhamul in Kathmandu and taken to Kaski on charges of misappropriating the savings of Suryadarshan Cooperative in Pokhara. Lamichhane is also arrested in the same case and is about to be taken from Kathmandu to Pokhara. 

In paragraph 8 of the report of the parliamentary committee, it is mentioned that the Cooperative Fraud Case 2074, the section of the Criminal Code, the Prevention of Organized Crime Act 2070 and the Prevention of Assets Laundering (Money Laundering) Act 2064 will be attracted.

Suryadarshan of Pokhara, Sahara of Chitwan, Supreme of Butwal and Swarnalakshmi Sahakari of Kathmandu brought only 655 million rupees to Gorkha Media, the company had chairman GB Rai and managing director Lamichhane.

Lamichhane claimed that he entered Gorkha Media with 15 percent 'sweat share' and returned that share to the company when he left. However, it is mentioned in the report that this amount is not the 'sweat share' but the amount of the cooperative and the document submitted to get the money while he was leaving the company.

It is mentioned in the report that since the cooperative fraud was done in an organized manner and the Gorkha media network was operated with such money, action will be taken according to the laws of Prevention of Money Laundering Act.