Lamichhane remanded in custody for six days; Police use tear gas and water cannons against RSP protesters

Pokhara / Oct 20: The Kaski District Court has remanded Rabi Lamichhane in custody for 6 days.

A singe bench of judge Navaraj Dahal permitted the police keep Lamichhane, former Home Minister, in the custody for investigation into his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of the fund of a Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperatives.

Lamichhane, president of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), will remain the police custody for three more days as he has already spent three days in the custody since he was arrested from his party office in Kathmandu on Friday.

The police presented Lamichhane at the court today appealing to the court for permission to keep Lamichhane in the custody for investigation.

Police use tear gas and water cannons against RSP protesters

Meanwhile, tension has escalated at Sahid Chowk in Pokhara after the supporters of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) began protesting, violating the prohibitory orders. After RSP activists continued their protest at Sahid Chowk, a place the local administration has declared a restricted area, the police lobbed tear gas canisters and used water cannons to disperse them and take the situation under control.

The District Administration Office, Kaski, issued a prohibitory order in the areas around Sahid Chowk and Gairapatan in Pokhara starting this morning. While the police were presenting RSP Chairman Lamichhane, who was arrested on charges of embezzling cooperative funds, to the district court, the party’s activists began protesting by breaching the prohibitory orders, prompting the police to use water cannons against them.

RSP Chairman Lamichhane was brought to the Kaski District Court for a hearing. Although the protest was scheduled to begin at 12:30 pm, RSP activists gathered and started chanting slogans as early as 11 AM.

After protests began near government offices, including the court and administration, the Kaski district administration declared Sahid Chowk and the surrounding areas as a restricted zone. However, the demonstrators refused to leave the site.

The local administration issued a prohibitory order after protests began for and against RSP Chairman Lamichhane.

The District Administration Office has prohibited gatherings of more than five individuals in the areas east of Shahid Chowk towards Waichok, west towards Fishtail Gate, north towards the Land Revenue Office, south towards Mustang Chowk, and on the road from Palikhe Chowk in Gairapatan to Shree Navin Secondary School for protests such as hunger strikes, sit-ins, blockades, rallies, demonstrations, and assemblies. The order, issued by Chief District Officer Bharatmani Paudel, states that the prohibition will remain in effect until further notice.

Ignoring the police’s calls and requests, the protesters continued to chant slogans and demonstrate, prompting the police to initially use water cannons to control the crowd. However, when that did not disperse the protesters, the police resorted to using tear gas.

However, the protesters are still continuing their demonstration. They are chanting slogans such as “Give Rabi justice,” “Innocents must not be framed,” “Hail Rabi,” and “Take action against the real cooperative fraudsters.”

Lamichhane was arrested in Kathmandu on Friday evening for his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funds from Surya Darshan Cooperative in Pokhara. He was presented to the Kaski District Court today.

The Kaski District Police Office is investigating Lamichhane for allegedly colluding with Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai, the founding chairman of the Surya Darshan Cooperative in Pokhara, to bring in funds and embezzle the money through the Gorkha Media Network.