Rabi Lamichhane cleared of major criminal allegations

KATHMANDU– Charges of Organised Crime and Money Laundering to Be Withdrawn Against Rabi Lamichhane

Nepal’s Attorney General’s Office has decided to withdraw the organised crime and money laundering charges filed against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane. The decision follows a review of the earlier investigation related to the operations of a cooperative in Chitwan.

Officials said the evidence presented in the case did not meet the legal threshold required to pursue charges under organised crime and money laundering laws. As a result, prosecutors will no longer move forward with those allegations.

However, Lamichhane still faces cooperative‑related fraud cases in several districts. These cases are being handled separately by local authorities, and court proceedings are expected to continue.

Meanwhile, Tanka Dahal, a Nepali YouTuber based in the United States, claimed in a viral video that Rabi Lamichhane has nine unresolved legal cases in the U.S. state of Maryland, including credit-related lawsuits filed by companies such as American Express Bank and Midland Funding LLC. Dahal presented screenshots from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website, showing multiple cases under the name “LAMICHHANE, RABI.” The video, titled “9 legal cases against Rabi Lamichhane in USA? वास्तविकता के हो?”, has received over 566,000 views.

These claims have not been officially verified by U.S. or Nepali authorities, and Lamichhane has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Lamichhane has consistently denied wrongdoing in all cases and says he is ready to cooperate with legal processes. His party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, welcomed the withdrawal of the organised crime and money laundering charges, calling it a correction of what they describe as politically motivated accusations.

The government has not yet commented on the status of the remaining cooperative cases.