The Rupandehi District Court on Wednesday concluded recording the statement of Rabi Lamichhane, chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and former managing director of Gorkha Media Network. The hearing was presided over by Judge Prahlad Kumar Yogi.

According to district court registrar Yagyamurti Gyawali, the remand hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Unlike the Kathmandu District Court, which remanded Lamichhane to police custody pending a detention hearing, the Rupandehi court allowed him to remain under the supervision of his legal team and family until the hearing.

Lamichhane appeared in Butwal District Court at 10 am on Wednesday in response to a case filed on Sunday alleging embezzlement from the Supreme Credit and Savings Cooperative. The case was assigned to Judge Yogi’s bench through a lottery system shortly after Lamichhane’s arrival.

The District Attorney’s Office has filed supplementary chargesheets against Lamichhane and 21 others based on further investigation by the Butwal Area Police Office. The charges, supported by over a dozen pieces of evidence, include allegations of cooperative fraud and organised crime.

The case claims total damages of Rs555.9 million, with Rs20 million attributed personally to Lamichhane. An additional Rs109.9 million is demanded as collective liability.

These supplementary charges build on an initial case that implicated 14 individuals, including Chhabilal Joshi. Legal proceedings are ongoing, and further developments are expected after Thursday’s remand hearing.

In a separate case, the Kathmandu District Court granted Lamichhane bail on January 15, requiring Rs6 million in connection with the Swarnalakshmi Cooperative fraud case. The decision was issued by Judge Madhav Prasad Adhikari following a pre-trial remand hearing.

Earlier, on January 9, Lamichhane was released on Rs6.5 million bail after spending 84 days in custody in Kaski District. The Kaski District Court ordered his release under the condition that he appears in person for proceedings related to other cases filed against him in different district courts.

Police have been investigating Lamichhane, Joshi and some other individuals on charges of embezzling deposits of different cooperatives in Chitwan and Parsa districts as well.