Ravi Lamichhane Arrested Over Embezzlement of 1.5 Billion Rupees from Cooperative

Police investigations reveal that a staggering Rs 1.5 billion has been misappropriated from the cooperative, with embezzlement going back to 2015.

Ravi Lamichhane Arrested Over Embezzlement of 1.5 Billion Rupees from Cooperative

Kathmandu. Today, the police have arrested Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President, Ravi Lamichhane, for further investigation into his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funds from the Surya Darshan Savings and Credit Cooperative in Pokhara.

The arrest was made with the approval of the Kaski District Court, according to Nepal Police spokesperson, Deputy Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki. Lamichhane is being taken to Kaski for questioning.

Police investigations reveal that a staggering Rs 1.5 billion has been misappropriated from the cooperative, with embezzlement going back to 2015. The main suspect, cooperative founder Gitendra Babu (also known as JB Rai), is accused of working with Lamichhane to divert funds into Gorkha Media Network.

Lamichhane was already facing charges in Kaski District Court for his alleged role in this scandal. Another suspect, Chhabilal Joshi, is also in police custody for questioning, while JB Rai remains at large.

The Surya Darshan Cooperative Victims' Struggle Committee had earlier requested a supplementary investigation into the case, submitting a formal complaint to the Kaski District Police in January 2024.

Nineteen people have been named in the case, and several former cooperative officials, including ex-chairman Shiva Bahadur Gurung, treasurer Kumar Ramtel, and former vice-chairman Kailash Darlami, are already in custody awaiting trial. Other key figures, including JB Rai's brother Bhupendra, manager Than Bahadur Budha, and board members Dhiraj Kumar Das and Hemant Adhikari, are still on the run.

A parliamentary investigation committee has also recommended action against Lamichhane, linking him to the misuse of cooperative savings.

Lamichhane now faces further investigation on charges of cooperative fraud and organised crime, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Basanta Kumar Sharma from Kaski District Police. A formal request for his arrest was issued earlier today by the Central Bureau of Investigation.