Case Explained: Supreme Court Concludes Hearing on Plea Against Withdrawal of Organized Crime and Money Laundering Charges Against Rabi Lamichhane | Ratopati – Legal Perspective

The hearing has concluded at the Supreme Court on the writ petition challenging the withdrawal of the organized crime and money laundering charges filed against Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane, alongside the cooperative fraud case. The hearing was conducted on Monday before a bench comprising Justices Binod Sharma and Abdul Aziz Muslim. The order on this writ is expected today.

Attorney General Savita Bhandari had directed the District Government Attorney’s Offices to amend the cooperative fraud case against Lamichhane, which also included charges of organized crime and money laundering, currently under consideration in various districts. Lamichhane has been named a defendant in the cooperative fraud, money laundering, and organized crime cases related to Surya Darshan Cooperative in Kaski, Supreme Cooperative in Rupandehi, Swarnalakshmi Cooperative in Kathmandu, and Sano Paila Cooperative in Parsa. However, the government attorney’s office in Chitwan had decided not to charge him under money laundering and organized crime provisions.

A case was previously filed against GB, also known as Gitendra Babu Rai, and others in connection with the Surya Darshan Cooperative in Kaski. Initially, only the cooperative fraud charge was pursued against them. However, when the case was filed against Rabi Lamichhane, the charges of money laundering and organized crime were added against them as well.

Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi, along with law students Ayush Badal and Yuvraj Poudel Safal, filed the writ petition against the decision of the Attorney General’s Office. In the seven-page ‘Comment and Order’ endorsed by Attorney General Bhandari on Poush 30, District Government Attorney’s Offices were directed to proceed only with the cooperative fraud case against Lamichhane and drop the other two serious charges.