Kathmandu, September 24
A team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police is heading to Pokhara to assist in investigating a cooperative. The team is being dispatched to support the investigation into the Suryadarshan Cooperative based in Pokhara.
CIB spokesperson and SP Hobindra Bogati stated that the team is being sent to provide technical assistance to the Kaski police. “The team is being sent to assist the Kaski police with technical support,” said SP Bogati.
Previously, the CIB team had also assisted in investigating the Suryadarshan Cooperative. A parliamentary probe committee led by MP Surya Thapa had concluded that a sum of NPR 650 million had been misappropriated from Suryadarshan Cooperative and other cooperatives by Gorkha Media.
The committee had recommended action against former DIG and former partner of Gorkha Media, Chhabilal Joshi; Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and former Managing Director of Gorkha Media, Rabi Lamichhane; Gorkha Media operator GB Rai; and Kumar Ramtel on charges of fund embezzlement.
Following the committee’s report, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak instructed the police to take action, leading to the arrest of Joshi from Shankhamul on Sunday. Police have obtained a five-day remand to investigate Joshi on charges of cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering.
Earlier, on February 7, 2024, police had raided a house owned by former DIG Joshi in Shankhamul, which he had rented out, and seized four hard drives containing cooperative-related data. The Nature Herbs International Pvt. Ltd. office was operating from the property.
It has been discovered that a total of Rs 1.5 billion has been embezzled from this cooperative.
