Dec 18, Kathmandu - The High Court in Butwal has ordered the release of Rabi Lamichhane, the Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), on bail. Justice Basudev Acharya and Justice Tejnarayan Poudel of the Butwal bench issued the order to release Lamichhane on bail.

According to the court order, Lamichhane is to be released after depositing a security amount of NPR 27 million 484 thousand.

Lamichhane was in custody at the Supreme Co-operative Society in Butwal, Rupandehi, on charges of fraud and organized crime related to the misappropriation of funds of the cooperative society. The High Court in Butwal ordered his release on bail in this case.

In the case, a collective claim of NPR 109 million 936 thousand was filed against Lamichhane and other defendants, accusing them of embezzling funds from the Supreme Co-operative Society.

The Rupandehi District Court previously refused to grant his release when Lamichhane submitted a bank guarantee of NPR 27 million 484 thousand, which was the amount of his portion of the claim.

Similarly, defendant Shivalal Joshi, involved in the same case, also submitted a bail application based on the amount of the claim. However, since the amount of the claim for each defendant was not definitively determined, the court issued an order denying bail for both.

The High Court ordered both cases to be kept pending, allowing the defendants to fight the case while out of custody after depositing the claim amount. Lamichhane is currently in Nakhu Jail for preventive detention, while Joshi is detained at Bhairahawa Jail.