Himal Press 
Kaski District Court
KATHMANDU: The Kaski District Court is expected to issue an order on whether to keep former Home Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane and other defendants of the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case in judicial custody on Thursday.
The lawyers representing seven defendants presented before the court completed their arguments on Wednesday. Lawyers representing plaintiffs also presented their rebuttal arguments on the day.
Government attorneys are scheduled to present their rebuttal arguments on Thursday, following which the bench of District Judge Nitij Rai could deliver its verdict.
As the hearings reach their conclusion, there is widespread interest in whether the court will keep the defendants in judicial custody, order their release on bail or general date.
“The government attorneys will present their rebuttal arguments on Thursday. The detention order is likely to be issued on Thursday as well after government attorneys conclude their arguments,” Rajan Khanal, the registrar of the district court, told Himal Press.
A total of 63 individuals and institutions have been charged with Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering. Government attorneys are seeking to recover Rs 1.51 billion in damages from the defendants.
The District Government Attorney’s Office, Kaski, had initially named 19 defendants in the case. Other defendants, including Lamichhane and former DIG of Nepal Police Chhabi Lal Joshi, were named via supplementary charge sheets filed on December 20 and 22.
Lila Pachhai, Mina Gurung Ram Bahadur Khanal Krishna Bahadur Gurung and Arti Gurung are the other defendants presented before the court.
The court will issue its order after Kaski District Government Attorney Kamala Kafle and Deputy Attorney General of Pokhara High Court Government Attorney’s Office Govinda Raj Gauli present their rebuttal arguments on Thursday.
