SC Orders Collection of Additional Evidence in Lamichhane Case

Kathmandu, Jan 25: The Supreme Court has directed authorities to collect additional evidence in the case involving Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane over allegations of organised crime and money laundering.

A division bench comprising Justices Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma and Shrikant Paudel issued the order on Sunday, instructing that supplementary documents be obtained from the Office of the Attorney General. The court said the case should be presented for discussion on an interim order after the documents are received, in line with legal procedures.

During the hearing, the Attorney General’s Office stated that the charge sheet had been amended after new evidence emerged following the filing of the original charges.

Earlier, on January 20, a single bench of Justice Abdur Aziz Musalman had ordered the Attorney General’s Office to submit the original decision related to the amendment of the organised crime and money laundering charges against Lamichhane.

Lamichhane had been facing cooperative fraud charges along with allegations of organised crime and money laundering. However, on January 14, the Attorney General’s Office amended the charge sheet and withdrew the organised crime and money laundering cases against Lamichhane and other defendants in the cooperative fraud case.

The decision to withdraw the charges later drew criticism from the Nepal Bar Association, human rights organisations, and civil society groups.