KATHMANDU: Rabi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, has approached the Butwal bench of Tulsipur High Court, filing a writ petition seeking release in the Supreme Cooperative fraud case.

Earlier, Lamichhane had submitted a bank guarantee of Rs 20.74 million, representing his share of the total bail. However, the Rupandehi District Court denied his release, citing uncertainty over the exact portion of bail applicable to him.

Previous orders from the High Court and Supreme Court had also directed that he remain in custody.

Following the court’s refusal, Lamichhane was transferred from Bhairahawa Prison to Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur, where he has now been held for two weeks.

His wife raised concerns about his safety in custody, alleging misuse of power and false charges, and demanded that he be allowed to fight the case from outside jail using the bank guarantee.

The writ petition seeks a prompt judicial review of the prior custodial decisions and Lamichhane’s release while the cooperative fraud case continues.

The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, 27 August.