Nepal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane
The Kaski District Court in Nepal has issued an arrest warrant against Rabi Lamichhane, the former Home Minister and chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The warrant, issued by Judge Krishna Jung Shah, is related to Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in cooperatives while managing Gorkha Media Network, owned by GB Rai.
Following the warrant, RSP supporters gathered at the party office, protesting against the government and authorities. They claimed that Lamichhane was being framed due to his rising popularity.
Earlier, former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Chhabi Lal Joshi, a partner at Gorkha Media Network, was also arrested. This led to a meeting at the RSP office, calling key members to discuss the situation.
The arrest follows a directive from Home Affairs Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who instructed Nepal Police to investigate Lamichhane and others for fraud, forgery, organized crime, and money laundering. The parliamentary committee’s report, made public on Friday, recommended investigating Lamichhane, GB Rai, Chhabi Lal Joshi, and Kumar Ramtel for misappropriating funds from various cooperatives.
The report highlighted that over Nepali Rs 650 million was funneled into Gorkha Media from cooperatives like Suryadarshan, Sahara, Supreme, and Swarnalakshmi. The committee, led by Surya Thapa, included members from various political parties.
Lamichhane, who entered politics in 2022, claimed he was unaware of the cooperative funds. The committee questioned him for over 10 hours, asking 50 questions about his involvement.
House Speaker Devraj Ghimire has directed the government to implement the committee’s report, which calls for legal action against those involved in the fund misappropriation.
Doubts Revealed
Nepal Court -: A court is a place where legal cases are heard and decided. In this case, it is a court in Nepal, a country near India.
Arrest Warrant -: An arrest warrant is a document that allows the police to arrest someone. It is issued by a judge or a court.
Home Minister -: The Home Minister is a government official responsible for internal affairs, like police and security. In this case, it refers to Rabi Lamichhane, who used to be Nepal’s Home Minister.
Rabi Lamichhane -: Rabi Lamichhane is a politician in Nepal. He was the Home Minister and is the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Kaski District Court -: This is a specific court located in the Kaski District of Nepal. It handles legal cases in that area.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) -: This is a political party in Nepal. ‘Rastriya’ means national, and ‘Swatantra’ means independent.
Cooperative Fund Misappropriation -: This means using money from a cooperative (a group that works together) in the wrong way, like stealing or misusing it.
Gorkha Media Network -: This is a media company in Nepal. Rabi Lamichhane was involved in managing it.
Home Affairs Minister Ramesh Lekhak -: Ramesh Lekhak is another government official in Nepal. He is the current Home Affairs Minister, responsible for internal matters.
Parliamentary Committee -: A group of members from the parliament (the place where laws are made) who investigate and make reports on important issues.
Fraud -: Fraud means cheating or lying to get something valuable, like money.
Forgery -: Forgery means making fake documents or signatures to trick people.
Organized Crime -: This is when a group of people work together to do illegal activities, like stealing or selling drugs.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is hiding where illegal money comes from, making it look like it was earned legally.
