The Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court on Wednesday ordered the Rupandehi District Court to submit the original case files along with a supporting report in the case alleging Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane in cooperative fraud.

A single bench of Judge Sagar Bista issued the order following a petition by Lamichhane challenging the district court’s refusal to grant him bail, said Ram Bahadur Kunwar, spokesperson for the high court.

Lamichhane, currently in custody over the Supreme Cooperative fraud case, had filed an appeal with the high court on Monday after the Rupandehi District Court denied him bail, despite submitting a bank guarantee worth Rs27.4 million, equivalent to the amount attributed to him in the case.

Judge Narayan Prasad Sapkota had refused his release during a hearing on August 9.

Lamichhane, who had been in Rupandehi Prison since April 4, was initially held at Bhairahawa Prison and later transferred to Nakhu Prison at his request.

The former home minister faces charges of embezzling millions of rupees deposited by the public at the Butwal-based cooperative.