Kathmandu – Rabi Lamichhane, chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is set to appear at the Kathmandu District Court today in connection with the high-profile Surya Darshan Cooperative fraud case. Lamichhane, who was arrested on November 18, secured his release last Thursday by posting a bail of Rs. 6.5 million after spending 84 days in police custody.

Despite being scheduled to appear in court last Friday, Lamichhane could not attend due to time constraints, as confirmed by his wife, Nikita Poudel. “He arrived in Kathmandu late Thursday evening from Kaski, which made it difficult to appear in court the next morning. However, he will attend today without fail,” Poudel stated.

In addition to the Surya Darshan case, Lamichhane faces accusations in another major fraud investigation involving the Kalimati-based Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative. According to Kathmandu District Police, Lamichhane and 38 others have been named defendants in a case involving the alleged embezzlement of over Rs. 1.19 billion, affecting 690 depositors. The police submitted their recommendations for prosecution on January 5, intensifying legal scrutiny against the former Deputy Prime Minister.

Lamichhane’s appearance in court today is expected to shed light on his defense in these high-stakes cases, which have drawn significant public and political attention.