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Rabi Lamichhane has been subjected to inhumane treatment as part of an apparent state vendetta, says RSP

Rabi Lamichhane, the chairperson of Rastriya Swatantra Party, was taken into judicial custody on August 19, 2024. The RSP has condemned the recent ‘inhumane treatment’ he has endured while in custody.

Photo: RSS

Kathmandu: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has accused Nepal Police of attempting to harass and subject its leader, Rabi Lamichhane, a former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, to inhumane treatment.

Lamichhane, who was taken into judicial custody on August 19, 2024, has reportedly faced escalating mistreatment, according to his party. The situation intensified on Thursday (December 5) when Lamichhane was abruptly transferred from custody in Chitwan to Pokhara during the middle of the night, allegedly without prior notice, opportunity of legal consultation and adequate rest. The RSP dubbed the transfer as “surprising” and “inhuman,” and condemned what it described as a violation of judicial principles.

We strongly condemn this act of transferring custody at midnight without due process or respect for human dignity, said Manish Jha, the RSP’s acting spokesperson, in a statement. The party has called on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and international rights organizations to intervene, citing violations of Nepal’s constitutional protections and international human rights commitments, including the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).

The party further claimed that Lamichhane’s personal diary, maintained during his detention, was confiscated by police officers, an act they described as a “blatant violation” of his constitutional rights and privacy. 

The incident, they argued, evokes troubling echoes of authoritarian practices from Nepal’s Panchayat era.

Since Lamichhane’s arrest, the RSP has raised repeated concerns about undue government influence over the judicial process. Party leaders and legal representatives have highlighted instances of disproportionate police presence in court premises during hearings, which they allege was an attempt to sway judicial outcomes.

Following custody transfer in the middle of night, Lamichhane’s wife, Nikita Paudel, has filed a formal complaint on December 6 against high-ranking police officials, including the Inspector General of Police. In her complaint, she alleged that her husband has been subjected to physical and mental abuse while in custody.