Former Deputy Prime Minister Rabi Lamichhane Arrested in Cooperative Fund Scandal

Rabi Lamichhane, Nepal's former deputy prime minister, was arrested at his party office in connection with a fund misappropriation case involving cooperatives. The arrest follows a warrant issued by Kaski District Court related to the misuse of over Rs 1.35 billion in the Suryadarshan Cooperatives scandal.

In a significant development, Nepal's former deputy prime minister Rabi Lamichhane was arrested on Friday evening in a case of fund misappropriation linked to cooperatives. The arrest occurred following a raid by the Central Investigation Bureau at Lamichhane's party office in Banasthali, near the capital.

Lamichhane, who also serves as the President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, was apprehended after an arrest warrant was issued by the Kaski District Court. The warrant is part of the broader investigation into the Suryadarshan Cooperatives fund mismanagement case, which allegedly involves misuse of Rs 1.35 billion.

The parliamentary probe committee has also linked Lamichhane to the mismanagement of other cooperative funds, including those of the Gorkha Media Network, where he previously held a managerial role. Several other individuals have been implicated in this extensive cooperative fraud scandal.

(With inputs from agencies.)