District court orders release of Lamichhane on bail of Rs 6.5 billion

POKHARA: The Kaski District Court has ordered the release of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman and former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

A single bench of District Judge Nitij Rai decided to release Lamichhane in Suryadarshan Cooperative’s saving misapppropriation case on a bail bond of Rs 6.5 million.

The decision means Lamichhane can defend his case without staying in judicial custody.

The bench also ordered the release of all other defendants on bail.

The detention hearing concluded on Thursday with government lawyers’ presenting their counter-arguments on Thursday. Deputy Attorney General of Pokhara High Court Government Attorney’s Office and Kaski District Attorney Kamala Kafle presented their counter-arguments on Thursday.

Lamichhane was arrested in Kathmandu on October 18 and transported to Pokhara the same night for investigation into his alleged role in the misappropriation of deposits from Suryadarshan Saving and Credit Cooperatives.