A case of fraud and organized crime has been filed against 39 people including Gorkha Media Chairman Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai, then Managing Director Ravi Lamichhane and former DIG of Nepal Police Chabilal Banjade Joshi in the case of misappropriation of savings of Swarnalakshmi Cooperative in Kalimati, Kathmandu.

• From 28 August 2077 to 2 February 2080, a total of 1,237 checks were deducted from Gorkha Media Pvt. Global IME Bank account number 00401010000577. 59 crore 49 lakh 44 thousand 955 was transacted from these checks. Out of this, 820 checks were cut by the then Managing Director Ravi Lamichhane alone, from which a transaction of 49.18 million 41 thousand 246 was made.

• Documents from the company registrar's office have also been submitted to the court, refuting the claim that Lamichhane got 'sweat shares'. It is clear in the document that Lamichhane applied to the company to buy the shares of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. The document confirms that Lamichhane has been appointed as a director and that he has also been working as a managing director since he "brought to pay" the amount needed to buy the shares. 

• When leaving the company after 15 months, on 1 June 2079, Lamichhane sold all the shares in his name to Gitendrababu (GB) Rai, and for this, a document of Rs. have been. 

• Swarnalakshmi's banking software has also been seized by the police. According to the records obtained from GCS banking software, Rai and Lamichhane took Rs. Similarly, on November 1, 2078, 46 lakh 48 thousand was taken at an interest rate of 14.75 percent to buy a seven-seater eco-van. Without even signing the application, without completing any process, the amount was withdrawn in the name of GB and Ravi, and the check cut when the amount was paid to the cooperative has Lamichhane's signature. 

• Rai and Lamichhane also took a loan of 46 lakh 48 thousand to buy a four-wheeler (Toyota Fortuner) from an illegal transaction of the same nature. Lamichhane himself was using the vehicle, which was made by embezzling the savings of the cooperative. According to the records of the cooperative's banking software system, out of the amount received from the cooperative on various dates, Lamichhane himself paid 82 lakh 97 thousand 600 through cheque. It seems that the account number 001-001-01-0013639, which Rai and Lamichhane are dealing with in Swarnalakshmi Cooperative, currently has a balance of 2 lakh 4 thousand 121 rupees 69 paise.

Swarnalakshmi's 690 savers filed a complaint saying that 1 billion 1949 million 21 thousand 270 rupees were defrauded. During the investigation, a total of 5 thousand 669 savers of Swarnalakshmi have been prosecuted with the conclusion that 2 billion 65 crore 95 lakh 59 thousand 58 rupees were systematically defrauded. 

The Kathmandu Public Prosecutor's Office has jointly fined Rai and Lamichhane *5 crore 8 lakh 69 thousand 633 rupees. A case has been filed against Joshi with 5 crore 78 lakh 96 thousand 480 bigos individually. The public prosecutor's office has also made Rai a defendant in other illegal transactions as well.

Lamichhane, Joshi and Rai are accused of misappropriating the savings of Pokhara's Suryadarshan Sahakari. The case of fraud, organized crime and money laundering is pending in the Kaski District Court. In this case, which was filed on 7th of December, the hearing is going on in Kaski court. 

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Cooperatives of Bagmati province filed a police complaint on December 23 and January 4 last year in the Swarnalakshmi cooperative fraud case. Soon after Lamichhane became the Home Minister, the file was suppressed without investigation. The parliamentary inquiry special committee also prepared a study report and instructed the government to bring those involved in co-operative embezzlement under the scope of action. 

Based on the investigation report of District Police Complex Kathmandu, the Public Prosecutor's Office Kathmandu has filed a case on Sunday by making Rai, Lamichhane and Joshi as defendants in the embezzlement of savings. Among the defendants, Lamichhane, Joshi, credit sub-committee member Kamal Lama, outgoing audit committee member Sunita Neva and treasurer Kumar Ramtel are currently in judicial custody in Kaski and Kathmandu on co-operative fraud charges. 34 people including the main accused GB are absconding.

Devendrababu Rai, vice president of Swarnalaxmi, treasurer Kumar Ramtel, current secretary Iran Lama, joint secretary Kavita Tamang, GB Group of Companies, Mandara Tours and Expeditions Pvt Ltd and the directors of the cooperative Hemant Adhikari, Raveena Rimal have also been made defendants.

Cooperative outgoing president Deepak Lama, outgoing treasurer Savina Alemgar, managing director Bhakta Bahadur Bholan, outgoing secretary Pradeep Lama, outgoing managing director Savita Lama, accounting coordinator Ganeshraj Shrestha, outgoing audit committee member Sunita Neva and outgoing managing director Shantikumari Subedi have also been filed as defendants. is

Similarly, loan subcommittee members Roman Kafle and Kamal Lama, manager Naveen Achami, former president of the cooperative Kalpana Kumari Shrestha, former director Raju Baral, GB Group of Companies Pvt. Ltd. directors Vishal Tamang and Ashraf Ali Siddiqui, Naturenest Pvt. Ltd., Gorkha Herbal Production Pvt. Ltd., Pagoda Home Pvt. Ltd. , Anantababu Rai, owner of Spring Wood Real Estate Pvt Ltd and Gorkha Group of Companies, Khimanand Kandel and Ballab Nepal, the owners of Naturenest Pvt. Ltd., Gokul Shrestha, the owner and director of Naturenest Pvt. Ltd., Dev Deep Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Farm Pvt. Ltd., Pagoda Home Pvt. Ltd. and Bhupendra Rai, the owner of Spring Wood Real Estate, Gorkha Group of Companies, have also been made defendants. 

Bhagwati Baluwakhani Pvt. Ltd. CEO Mukhiya Kancha Gurung, Gorkha Herbal Production Pvt. Ltd. Janak Bhattarai, Spring Wood Real Estate Pvt. Director Kiran Pudasai, Super City Enterprises Pvt A case has also been filed against Pushparaj Paudel, shareholder of Gorkha Group of Companies, Super City Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Kalyan Kumar Ghimire, owner of Gorkha Group of Companies, Krishna Bahadur Pokharel, Chairman of Super City Enterprises Pvt Ltd.

Many of the accused, including Dipesh Pun, the son of former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, who are under the investigation of co-operative fraud, have not been made defendants in the case. After the investigation, the suspect and the accused were acquitted, saying that the evidence would be as revealed by the investigation.

According to the indictment, Shambhu Guragai, Omprakash Gurung, Lakshmi Prasad Poudel, Umesh Gurung, Dipesh Kumar Pun, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Pushpa Rai, who have not disclosed the details of Yam Kumar Nalbo, Suraj Shrestha, Punam Kumar Chalise, Meera Bamjan, Sanjeev Giri and Prachandaman Pradhan and have not paid the loan from the cooperative. Even the case has not been prosecuted.

Suryadarshan, Swarnalakshmi, Sahara Chitwan, Sano Paila, Samana and Supreme Sahakari have been investigated and charges have been filed against Rai, Lamichhane and Joshi in the Kaski court on August 7. In their case, Gorkha Media Network and 8 other companies It is mentioned in the indictment that in Swarnalakshmi case, only cases of fraud and organized crime were prosecuted. 

"In the case of Rai, Joshi and Lamichhane, the charge sheet has been filed only for organized crime and fraud, as the investigation related to money laundering would be double." It is said that if the investigation regarding Swarnalakshmi comes to light later, it will be according to the law related to money laundering. Punishment has been demanded against those involved in the

crime according to the provisions of the Civil Code and the Prevention of Organized Crime Act. The offense of fraud mentioned in Section 249 of the Code is punishable with imprisonment up to 7 years and a fine of up to 70,000 rupees. In the crime, it is said that "if someone has been harmed due to the crime, if the crime is revealed by such a criminal, then the crime must be recovered and paid to the victim, and in case the crime is not revealed, the victim must be paid emotional compensation."

Similarly, punishment has been demanded for the accused in the offense prohibited by Section 3 of Prevention of Organized Crime Act, 2070. It is said that 'anyone knowingly commits a serious crime for the benefit of a criminal group, under the direction of a criminal group, on behalf of a criminal group, in association with a criminal group or as a founding member or member of a criminal group, is considered to have committed an organized crime'. Punishment for those involved in this offense is provided in Section 9. 

It is mentioned in that section that, except for the offenders who are sentenced to life imprisonment or more, in the case of the rest, an additional 50 percent of the original offense will be punished. It is mentioned that in case of committing an offense by establishing a criminal group, imprisonment up to 5 years and a fine of up to 50,000 rupees. It is also mentioned in the Prevention of Organized Crime Act that the property acquired from this offense will be frozen or confiscated. 

Swarnalakshmi Sabik was established on 15th February 2063 as a multi-purpose cooperative. Pranodayani Maharajganj and Kamad multi-purpose cooperative New Road merged and became Swarnalakshmi multi-purpose cooperative on November 3, 2073. Its business was being maintained in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. On December 19, 2074, Mandla Cooperative in Buddh, Kathmandu was merged with head office Kalimati and branch offices were expanded to New Road, Maharajganj, Buddh and Swayambhu. After that, it is mentioned in the indictment that savings were embezzled by doing business contrary to the terms and principles of the cooperative by increasing savings collection. 

Who took how much from the cooperative?

It is mentioned in the indictment that from Swarnalakshmi to shareholders, various profit-making companies and unauthorized persons, money was illegally taken and embezzled on various dates. It has also been mentioned that Lamichhane and Rai purchased vehicles from the cooperative's funds. According to the indictment, it seems that Rai took 61 crore 71 lakh 36 thousand 965 rupees 45 money from the cooperative. 

Similarly, Devendrababu Rai got 12 crore 76 lakh 68 thousand 900, Kumar Ramtel 25 lakh, Hemant Adhikari 3 crore 48 lakh 80 thousand 809 6 paise, Ravina Rimal 30 lakh, Deepak Lama 3 crore 84 lakh 43 thousand 400 68, Pradeep Lama seems to have taken 3 lakhs, Naveen Achami 89 lakhs 65 thousand 881 rupees 50 paise.

Gurkha Media Network Rai and Lamichhane of Gorkha Media jointly misappropriated Rs. Joshi has also taken the same amount and has been made a defendant. 

GB Group of Companies 1 crore 69 lakh 23 thousand 3 hundred 7, Herbo International Pvt Ltd 10 crore 27 lakh 94 thousand 522, Naturenest Pvt Ltd 1 crore 93 lakh 2 thousand 6 hundred 3, Spring Wood Real Estate Pvt Ltd 1 crore 33 63 thousand 430 rupees 2 paisa, 53 lakh 15 thousand 285 rupees 17 paisa taken by New Sulux Upset Printers, Gorkha Group of Companies Shivprasad Paudel, Bir Bahadur Ranabhat, Pushparaj Paudel through Rs 40 lakh 7723 3 paise. 

Similarly, Saregam Records took 53 lakh 15 thousand 285 rupees 17 paisa, Supercity Enterprises took 73 lakh 8 thousand 164 rupees 37 paisa, Mandara Tours and Expeditions Pvt Ltd took 2 crore 3 lakh 1 thousand 340 rupees 66 paisa, 1 crore 82 lakh 85 thousand 745 rupees 87 paise taken by Gorkha Herbal Production Pvt Ltd, 1 crore 10 lakh 75 thousand rupees by Pagoda Homes Pvt Ltd 573 rupees 47 paisa, Dev Deep Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Farm 3 crore 78 lakh 7936 rupees 48 paisa, Bhagwati Baluwakhani Pvt. .

Between November 19, 2020 and July 24, 2022, it is also mentioned in the indictment that Rs. "It seems that Ravi Lamichhane knowingly used/pretended that the money saved by the whistleblowers was illegally transferred to the bank account of Gorkha Media Network and knowingly used/assumed that it was received illegally," the indictment said.

Similarly, other directors including Lamichhane received Rs 59 crore 49 lakh 44 thousand 955 from Gorkha Media's Global IME account from September 13, 2020 to February 14, 2024 through 1,237 checks and from Gorkha Media's Siddharth Bank account from September 8, 2020 to September 2, 2022. It is also mentioned that 2 crore 19 lakh 97 thousand 30 rupees were traded.

It is mentioned in the indictment that the defendants established a company in the name of their favorite people and took loans against the law by pretending to be pessimistic to invest in it. Cooperative Acts such as showing interest expenses on accounts without savings, setting up fake debtors and tying income to that amount, accounting for expenses without bills, misappropriating savings by showing inter-cooperative transactions, withdrawing funds from reserve funds that cannot be distributed or distributing dividends. , it was confirmed that there was an act against the rules and the Civil Crime Code,' the indictment said. 

Attempt to escape by exposing GB

Lamichhane and Joshi try to escape by exposing Rai in a cooperative scam. Lamichhane has given a statement that Rai is responsible and liable for all financial transactions of Gorkha Media. He claimed that Rai was all responsible for the irregularities saying that he was only working in news and program production. Joshi has also stated that he is innocent saying that GB and Ravi are all responsible for this. 

I am not aware of why my name was mentioned by whom and on what basis in the details shown to be in Swarnalakshmi's GCS banking software system. I have not requested a loan from the said cooperative, I have not filled any form to request a loan,” Lamichhane said in a statement. Lamichhane has given a denial statement that his fingerprints, forms and applications are nothing in the cooperative. 

Lamichhane has claimed that he does not know from which sources Rai collected the funds according to the commitment, agreement and agreement to give shares in Gorkha Media. "Because it was a new company and the investor's business was in seven countries, I was the signatory of the checks under the Gorkha Media Network account for the purpose of not delaying the opening of the television due to his busyness, I was never an investor or a financial responsibility," said Lamichhane.