May 23, Kathmandu- The Supreme Court has upheld the Butwal High Court's order to detain former Home Minister and Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane and refused to release him from detention.

The order to detain him and former DIG Chhabilal Joshi has also been upheld. The application for custodial interrogation filed by Rabi's wife Nikita Poudel has been rejected.

Justices Dr. Nahakul Subedi and Balkrishna Dhakal, who spent about six hours in the case, upheld the order to keep him in custody on nine different grounds. The Supreme Court, citing those nine grounds, said that it “cannot be concluded that Rabi Lamichhane is not involved” in the cooperative fraud.