Chhabilal Joshi brought to Butwal to testify in joint fraud case

Former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and former director of Gorkha Media Network Chhabilal Joshi was brought to Butwal on Monday to testify in the embezzlement case involving Supreme Cooperative. Joshi, who was in custody in Pokhara during the investigation, was airlifted to Butwal for further trial.

According to Rupandehi police spokesperson Deputy Superintendent of Police Lakshmi Khanal, Joshi was taken to the prosecutor’s office the same day. However, the recording of his statement will begin on Tuesday. “We brought him to the prosecutor today, but his testimony will begin tomorrow,” Khanal said. Joshi is being held at the district police station in Butwal as the investigation is ongoing from there.

Investigations revealed that nearly Rs 150 million from the Butwal-based Higher Multipurpose Cooperative Society funds were transferred to the account of Gorkha Media Network. Of this, Rs 20 million was given in the name of Rabi Lamichhane, former managing director of Gorkha Media Network and chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). In addition, Rs 25 million was transferred in the name of Joshi, Rs 40.5 million in the name of a media company, Rs 15.6 million in the name of RSP Deputy General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya, Rs 33 million in the name of Bhupendra Babu Rai and Rs 10 million in the name of Joshi . 0.3 million in the name of Kumar Ramtel.

Joshi was arrested in Kathmandu on September 22 on the recommendations of the parliamentary special inquiry committee headed by MP Surya Thapa. He was subsequently taken to Pokhara for further interrogation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Bijay Pandit confirmed that Joshi is being held in Butwal and his testimony will begin on Tuesday. “We are yet to determine how many days the deposition will take and what the next steps are after that,” Pandit said.