Kathmandu: The police have filed a report with the District Attorney’s Office demanding punishment for cooperative fraud and organized crime against 44 people, including Rastriya Swatantra party President Rabi Lamichhane, on charges of embezzlement of funds from the Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative Organization in Kalimati.

In the report with opinion submitted by the police to the Office of the Government Attorney, the police have demanded a compensation of Rs 1.19 billion 49 million 21 thousand 270 including the amount embezzled from the cooperative.

Police have stated that 44 people including Lamichhane, GB Rai, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, GB’s brother-in-law Deepak Lama, treasurer Kumar Ramtel and manager Navin Achhami involved in embezzlement of funds from Swarnalakshmi Cooperative have been filed as defendants.

690 people have filed 93 reports in the cooperative fraud case. Police investigations have revealed that Rs 2.65 billion 95 million 59 thousand 58 were misappropriated from 5,669 savers in the cooperative.

Similarly, Sabina Ale Magar, wife of student leader Dipesh Pun, has been made a defendant in the case. Police have also made a dozen other organizations that took loans from the cooperative as defendants. Police investigations have revealed that Rs 648 million 338 thousand 465 were transacted in Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. from the cooperative where the money was misappropriated.

Similarly, in the Surya Darshan cooperative fraud case in Pokhara, closed arguments are ongoing in the Kaski District Court in the case including former Managing Director of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. Lamichhane, former Vice President of Gorkha Media and former DIG Chhabilal Joshi. Kaski Police is of the opinion that they should be prosecuted for cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.