The custodial trial of seven defendants, including Chairman of Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RASWPA) and former Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane, accused in the embezzlement case of Suryadarshan Sahakari of Pokhara, has been ongoing in District Court Kaski since last Tuesday.
The arguments of the legal professionals on behalf of the defendant have started since Friday, but today the arguments of the legal professionals on the side of Chairman Lamichhane have started, according to Rajan Khanal. According to him, advocate Sushil Kumar Pant has argued from Lamichhane's side today. Earlier, legal professionals from the defendants Leela Pacchain and Chabilal Joshi argued.
After the public prosecutor and the lawyers of the co-opted victim side debated on the case, the debate of the defendant's lawyers is going on. As soon as the statement of the defendants was over, the debate started in the courtroom of District Judge Nitij Rai from last Tuesday. District Attorney Kamala Kafle informed that after the arguments of the lawyers on behalf of the defendants, the counter arguments will start again on behalf of the government lawyers.
After the detention check debate, there will be an order to keep the defendants in custody for preliminary investigation or release them and continue the investigation. Former DIG Chabilal Joshi, Leela Pachaiin, Krishna Bahadur Gurung, Ram Bahadur Khanal and others who were involved in the cooperative fraud case along with Chairman Lamichhane are being debated behind closed doors. On the 7th of this month, the district attorney's office filed a case against 44 people, including RASWP president Lamichhane, on charges of misappropriation of cooperative funds.
Chairman Lamichhane has been charged with cooperative fraud and organized crime and money laundering. The public prosecutor's office has so far filed a case against 63 people in the district court of Kaski in the case of money fraud of Suryadarshan Cooperative. According to the district attorney's office, a case has also been filed against 19 people including the chairman Lamichhane for organized crime.
Similarly, along with Lamichhane, a case has been filed against Khanal, Joshi and Pachhai for money laundering, according to the government attorney's office. RSVP Chairman Lamichhane was arrested from Kathmandu on October 2 last on the charge of misappropriating the cooperative's savings. A case has also been registered against other persons accused of co-operative fraud with the demand for punishment and failure according to the crime.
