The District Court, Chitwan has sought a bail of Rs 5.4 million from former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, an accused in the misappropriation of funds from Sahara Chitwan Multi-purpose Cooperative.
A single bench of Judge Dayaram Dhakal sought the afore-mentioned bail from Lamichhane following an intensive two-day hearing.
If Lamichhane managed to furnish the bail sought, he will be released today itself.
Lamichhane was handed over to the police custody after his bail-hearing remained incomplete even though his statements were recorded on Wednesday.
Prior to this, state prosecutors and advocates pleading on behalf of complaints had demanded that legal proceedings be carried forward by keeping Lamichhane in detention.
District Attorney Rabi Neupane, Shambhu Kumar Basnet, Dasharath Pangeni, Bhola Nath Niraula, joint district attorneys Buddha Bahadur Thapa, Amrit Subedi had presented their arguments.
Similarly, senior advocate Surendra Bhandari, Dinesh Tripathi, Raj Kumar Shrestha, advocates Gopilal Devkota, Ramesh Kafle, Ram Chandra Gautam and Sunita Adhikari had pleaded on behalf of the complaints.
On the other hand, former Attorney General Sushil Kumar Pant, senior advocate Jagannath Bhandari, Dharma Raj Acharya, Surendra Bahadur Thapa, advocates Ramchandra Devkota and Narayan Datta Kandel had pleaded on behalf of Lamichhane, arguing that the case be investigated by releasing him on bail.
Lamichhane has been accused of misappropriating Rs 108 million 001 thousand 151.6 by transferring them from Sahara Chitwan Cooperative into Gurkha Media in collusion with Chhabilal Joshi Banjade GB Rai and Kumar Ramtel, according the charge-sheet.
The others accused of the cooperative fraud case are at large.
Earlier, Lamichhane was released on bail by three district courts.
The District Court, Kaski had released him on Rs 6.5 million bail in the Suryadarshan Cooperative fund embezzlement case. Likewise, the District Court, Kathmandu sought Rs 6 million bail from him in Swarnalakashmi Cooperative fund embezzlement case while the District Court, Rupandehi slapped him with Rs 10 million bail in the Supreme Cooperative fund misappropriation case.
With this, he has already furnished Rs 22.5 million in bail for three cooperatives.
Similarly, preparations are being made to file a case against Lamichhane in the fund embezzlement case of Birgunj-based Sanopaila Cooperative embezzlement case. The police said the investigation has reached a final stage. The statements were recorded by taking the accused including Lamichhane to Birgunj while they doing time in the police custody of District Police Office, Kaski.
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