BUTWAL: Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Rabi Lamichhane is scheduled to appear in court again today for the ongoing hearing regarding his remand in a cooperative fraud case.

On Thursday, government prosecutors completed their arguments at the Rupandehi District Court. However, the hearing is still not finished as two lawyers representing the victims have yet to present their arguments, which requires Lamichhane’s presence today.

Lamichhane, who also leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party, made his first appearance at the Rupandehi District Court on Wednesday after being accused of involvement in a fraud case linked to the Supreme Savings and Credit Cooperative.

He was granted bail under the responsibility of his wife, Nikita Poudel, and his legal team, with the condition that he appear in court as needed.

The cooperative is accused of embezzling Rs 861.8 million from 1,831 depositors. Although the case was initially filed in April, Lamichhane was added in a supplementary complaint later.

According to the police, Rs 142.9 million from the cooperative was transferred to Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd., and Rs 20 million was taken as a loan under Lamichhane’s name, which led to the charges against him.

Lamichhane had previously posted bail of Rs 6.5 million in Kaski and Rs 6 million in Kathmandu for similar allegations. After the Butwal hearing, he is also expected to appear in courts in Chitwan and Parsa, where additional arrest warrants have been issued for him.