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The Kaski District Court on Sunday allowed police to keep Rastriya Swatantra Party President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane in custody for six days to carry out an investigation on organized crime.

A single bench of Judge Nawaraj Dahal had allowed the police to keep Lamichhane in custody to conduct further investigation.

Suraj Adhikari, Information Officer of the District Court Kaski, said that the police have been allowed to keep Lamichhane in custody for six days for investigation.

Senior advocates Sushil Pant and Narayan Ghimire had argued on behalf of Lamichhane.

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police had arrested Lamichhane from Kathmandu on Friday after the Kaski District Court issued an arrest warrant against him to investigate the cooperative fraud case.

He was taken to Pokhara on Friday evening.

Prior to the arrest, Lamichhane had organized a press conference and said that he had been framed by the state.

The Parliamentary Special Committee on Cooperatives had recommended action against four persons including the then Managing Director of Gorkha Media Lamichhane.

Lamichhane was arrested on the basis of the same.

The Committee had recommended action against Gorkha Media Network Chairman GB Rai, the then Managing Director Lamichhane, member Kumar Ramtel and director Chhabiraj Joshi for misappropriating the funds of the cooperative.

Among them, police have arrested Joshi and are carrying out an investigation while Ramtel is also in police custody.

The Committee concluded that the money of the depositors in the cooperative was transferred illegally to the account of Gorkha Media Network Pvt Ltd and Lamichhane was also found involved in it.

The Committee made a conclusion that the funds of nine cooperatives across the country were embezzled in the Gorkha Media Network.

According to the report, the money of Suryadarshan of Pokhara, Supreme of Butwal, Swarnalakshmi of Kathmandu, Sahara of Chitwan, Sanopaila of Birgunj was embezzled in the Gorkha Media Network.

Similarly, it has been mentioned in the report that funds of Image, Samana, Sumeru and IME were also misappropriated in the Gorkha Media Network.

The Committee has recommended to the government that the director of the cooperatives and everyone involved in the decision-making process should be sent to the concerned authorities for action.

The Committee has also directed the government to immediately arrest Gitendra Babu, GB Rai, Than Bahadur Budha Magar, Dinesh Rokka, Sagar KC, Pichkan Khatun, Bhupendra Rai, who are on the run.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that there would not be any lack from the government side for relief and rehabilitation works in the aftermath of the flooding, landslide and inundation.

He said so while receiving a memorandum on the loss of life and property due to the recent floods, landslide and inundation in Sindhuli district. The CPN-UML Sindhuli District Committee handed him the memorandum at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar today.

On the occasion, the PM stated that a decision has been made from the latest meeting of the Council of Ministers and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to expedite the works related to relief and rehabilitation in an effective manner and determining the time-table for the same.

He urged one and all to fulfill their responsibilities with confidence tearing apart the unnecessary misleading spread by those who want to fuel anarchy and instability, as the government and all its organs are carrying out maximum work in favor of the disaster affected people.

UML District Committee president Mahendradev Shrestha thanked the government for declaring the four local levels in the district as crisis-hit areas, calling for a special relief package for farmers as their ripe paddy crop and hundreds of cattle perished due to the disaster.

The Committee called for moving ahead with the reconstruction and rehabilitation works in the district as well.

UML Discipline Commission president Keshav Badal, Bagmati Province In-Charge Dr Rajan Bhattarai and former lawmaker Ganesh Pahadi, among other leaders, were present on the occasion.

A Swiss citizen died of altitude sickness in Mananag.

He has been identified as Marcus Ceslar (63) bearing the Swiss passport S 088518, according to the District Police Office Manang's police Inspector Rajendra Bahadur KC.

The Swiss national decided to spend a night in a tent at Yakkharka of Ngisyang-3 on Friday and was found dead in the morning the following day.

Police said they came to know about the incident only late afternoon yesterday. He was en route to Chulu Forest.

 A security guard in the morning reported that he died of altitude sickness.

Until the filing of this report, preparations were underway to send the body to Kathmandu on a helicopter. 

It is said the police rescued 10 foreigners and 23 Nepalis from the area on Saturday.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 47. 44 points to close at 2,697.91 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 7. 91 points to close at 487. 39 points.

A total of 20,868,919-unit shares of 315 companies were traded for Rs 8. 18 billion.

Meanwhile, Kutheli Bukhari Small Hydropower Limited (KBSH) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Eastern Hydropower Limited (EHPL) was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 28 trillion.

The District Administration Office Kaski has informed that the prohibitory order continues in the areas around Shahid Chowk and Gairapatan of Pokhara Metropolitan City today as well.

The local administration issued a prohibition order after demonstrations started in favor of and against Rabi Lamichhane, the President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), who was arrested in a case of misappropriation of the cooperative's savings.

Chief District Officer Bharatmani Pandey issued a notice regarding the prohibition order today, to be effective in Waichowk on the east side of Shahid Chowk, the Fishtail Gate on the west side, the Land Revenue Office to the north, and Mustang Chowk on the south side, in addition to the road area from Palikhechowk to Navin Secondary School in Gairapatan, where gathering and protesting by more than five people has been restricted.

President Lamichhane was arrested from Kathmandu on Friday and transferred to Pokhara on Saturday morning on the charge of his involvement in embezzlement of funds of Suryadarshan Cooperative of Pokhara. The Kaski District Police Office said that they are preparing to present him before the court today.

A delegation led by Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee member and Secretary of Qinghai Province Chen Gang called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday.

During the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, they discussed strengthening mutual relations between the two countries and two parties, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed.

Saying that the overall development along with the end of poverty in China under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and General Secretary Xi Jinping was extraordinary, Oli, who is also the Chairman of CPN-UML, said that Nepal wants to benefit from that development.

Stating that a new government was formed in collaboration between the two major parties UML and Nepali Congress for political stability, Prime Minister Oli hoped for China's continued support in Nepal’s economic development.

Since there are government-to-government, people-to-people and cultural relations between the two countries,  Prime Minister Oli said that the exchange of high-level visits should be continued.

The Prime Minister reminded that Nepal has always been clear in not allowing Nepal’s land to be used for any kind of activities against China while remaining committed to the One China Policy.

Chinese leader Chen said that he came to Nepal at the direction of General Secretary Xi Jinping and clarified that China will always support Nepal in its effort to head towards the path of prosperity.

Saying that he will respect the decision made by the political parties of Nepal, he said that he will inform the General Secretary about the matters that came up during the visit.

Prime Minister Oli’s Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, UML Secretary and Head of Foreign Affairs Department Raghuvir Mahaseth, Department’s members Anjan Shakya and Gopal Khanal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Krishna Prasad Dhakal, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song and others were present in the meeting.

Gold price has set a new record in the domestic market today.

According to the Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 165, o00 per tola. It was traded at Rs 164, 400 per tola on Friday.

Likewise, the silver is being traded at Rs 2, 075 per tola.

Nepal defeated the USA in the Super Over in the second match of the T20I Series held in Dallas on Sunday.

With this, Nepal have won the series against the USA with one match left.  

After winning the toss, Nepal chose to bat first and scored 170 runs by losing six wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Kusham Bhurtel scored highest 92 runs hitting seven fours and six sixes for Nepal.

Similarly, Anil Shah made 25 runs and Gulsan Jha and Rohit Paudel contributed 11 and 18 runs respectively.

The match was tied after the USA scored 170 runs by losing eight wickets in the allotted overs.

Andries Gous scored the highest 62 runs for the USA.

Likewise, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Milinda Kumar and Shayan Jahangir made 47, 15 and 14 runs respectively.

In the first match, Nepal thrashed the USA by 17 runs.

Meanwhile, in the Super Over, Sompal Kami managed to take two wickets in four balls.

The USA had challenged three runs in four balls in the Super Over.

Chasing the target of three runs in the Super Over, Nepal won by playing four balls.

Along with this, Nepal won the series.

Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel and Kushal Bhurtel batted in the Super Over.