KATHMANDU, Jan 18: The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday accepted a writ petition seeking to overturn the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) decision to withdraw organized crime and money laundering charges against Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane.
Lamichhane is currently out on bail in cooperative fraud-related cases under trial in various courts.
Writ petition filed against Rabi Lamichhane
Yubaraj Safal of Sindhuli filed the petition against the OAG, Attorney General Sabita Bhandari and the District Government Attorneys’ Offices in Kathmandu, Rupandehi, Kaski and Chitwan as respondents. Safal argued that the decision, made by the state itself, undermines the rule of law and is unlawful and he sought annulment of the directives issued to implement it.
The petition further challenges the Attorney General’s action under Sections 36 and 116 of the National Criminal Procedure Code, 2017, claiming it reflects a mala fide use of the legal provision since no new evidence proving Lamichhane’s innocence was presented.
Invoking Articles 133(2) and (3) of the Constitution, Safal requested a court order restraining the Attorney General from taking any action that could weaken the ongoing cases related to organized crime and money laundering.
The hearing for the writ is scheduled for Tuesday.
