POKHARA: The pre-trial detention hearing on the Suryadarshan Cooperatives deposit embezzlement case came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday afternoon after an emotional outburst from the defendants.
Krishna Bahadur Gurung (80), a defendant accused in the Suryadarshan Cooperative embezzlement case, broke into tears during the hearing, stating that he would die in the court itself. His daughter, former parliamentarian Meena Gurung, also began crying, leading to the suspension of the proceedings before office hours ended.
Krishna Bahadur, a resident of Ranipauwa in Pokhara-12, is a retired British Army soldier. Both Krishna Bahadur and his daughter Meena are in police custody on charges related to cooperative fraud.
The pre-trial hearing began on Tuesday afternoon after Suryadarshan’s former treasurer Aarti Gurung, one of the seven defendants in custody, completed recording her statement.
During the session, Assistant District Government Attorney Shantidevi Sharma mentioned Krishna Bahadur’s name while listing the defendants. Breaking into tears, Krishna Bahadur claimed that he was unjustly implicated in the case. When his daughter Meena also started crying, the pre-trial detention was postponed.
Krishna Bahadur, a heart patient, is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. His daughter, Meena (63), was elected to the Gandaki Province Assembly from CPN-UML through the proportion representation system.
In 2008, Meena was appointed to the ad hoc committee of Suryadarshan Cooperative at the request of Gyan Bahadur Bamjan and others. She later served as the cooperative’s vice-chairperson. However, upon noticing financial mismanagement by individuals like GB Rai, she had resigned and notified the Cooperative Registrar’s Office.
The police investigation has shown a liability of Rs 5.37 million against defendants, including Gyan Bahadur Bamjan, Suryadhwaj Neupane, Aarti Gurung, Peshala Kumar Rai, Krishna Bahadur Gurung, Leela Bahadur Gurung, Shakuntala Gurung Mishra Kumari Gurung, and Ritu Gurung.
A total of 63 defendants, including former Home Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane and former DIG of Nepal Police Chhabilal Joshi, have been named in cases involving cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.
The Kaski District Court aims to conclude the pre-trial detention hearing by this Friday.
The cooperative fraud case, filed on October 5, 2023, implicated 19 individuals, including Suryadarshan Cooperative founder GB Rai.
The supplementary charge sheet, filed last Sunday, added 44 defendants, including Lamichhane and Joshi. Government attorneys have sought Rs 1.51 billion in damages from the defendants.
