Lamichhane has been a member of the House of Representatives from Chitwan 2 since 28 April 2023, having previously represented the constituency before being temporarily stripped of his position by the Supreme Court.[1][2]
Before entering politics, Lamichhane was a television presenter and journalist, where he gained widespread popularity.[3]
Broadcast career
Lamichhane rose to fame as the host of a television show on News24 aimed at setting the world record for the longest talk show in April 2013, which he no longer holds.[4] The previous record was set by two Ukrainian presenters who stayed on the air for 52 hours in 2011.[5] He interviewed politicians, journalists, and celebrities, and took phone calls from viewers. While he set the Guinness world record at over 62 hours in April 2013, the record has since been broken by Alexandru Raducanu of Romania, who hosted an over 72-hour-long show.[6]
Lamichhane went on to host the popular Sidha Kura Pradhanmantri Sanga (Straight Talk with the Prime Minister) with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Nepal Television and News 24.[7] Later, he went on to host Sidha Kura Janata Sanga on News24. Lamichhane resigned from News24 in January 2021 and announced the launch of a new version of his show as Sidha Kura on Galaxy 4K TV.[8]
Lamichhane was elected with a majority of 34,312 votes, defeating incumbent minister of state Umesh Shrestha of the Nepali Congress, and CPN (UML)'s Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel, the incumbent member of the constituency.[12] In the aftermath of the election, his party supported Pushpa Kamal Dahal's nomination for prime minister, and Lamichhane led the RSP in government as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs.[13][14]
During his campaign for the 2022 general election, a complaint was filed calling for his candidacy to be scrapped. The complainant claimed that Rabi Lamichhane had not renounced his Nepali citizenship while being an American citizen, and Nepali law does not allow dual-citizenship.[15][16] On 27 January 2023, the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that Lamichhane did not follow due process to re-obtain his Nepali citizenship after renouncing his American citizenship, and thus, was not a legal Nepali citizen. This verdict effectively stripped Lamichhane of his position as deputy prime minister and minister of home affairs.[2]
After re-acquiring Nepali citizenship, he contested the by-election held for his Chitwan 2 seat in April 2023, and was re-elected, securing an even greater margin of votes than in the 2022 general election.[17]
On 15 August 2019, police arrested Lamichhane from his News 24 office in connection with the suicide of journalist Shalikram Pudasaini.[20][21] In a video recorded before his death, Pudasaini, who had also worked for News24, had named Lamichhane, among others, as driving him to suicide.[7]Chitwan police charged Lamichhane, along with two others, with abetment of suicide.[22][23] His arrest provoked widespread protest rallies in his support across the country, with thousands of young people taking to the streets in Chitwan.[21][24][25] Protestors saw Lamichhane's arrest as an attempt to stifle his journalism and retaliation for his exposure of corruption in the state.[26] Chitwan District Court released Lamichhane on Rs 500,000 bail a few days later.[27] Judge Hemanta Rawal eventually cleared Lamichhane of all charges.[28]
Driver’s Mysterious Death
In April 2023, Rabi Lamichhane came under public scrutiny after his driver, Dil Bahadur Thapa (also known as Shambhu), sustained critical injuries from a fall off a three-story building in Bharatpur.[29] Thapa was hospitalized and later airlifted to Kathmandu, but died during treatment on May 2, 2023.[30] The incident drew widespread media attention due to Lamichhane’s political prominence, prompting speculation about possible internal conflicts, arguments, and hidden secrets within his close circle.[31] However, police investigations concluded that the fall was accidental, likely caused by intoxication, and found no evidence of foul play or criminal involvement. No legal action was taken against Lamichhane, and the case was closed as an accidental death.[32]
Citizenship
Lamichhane initially traveled to the United States on a visitor visa before eventually acquiring American citizenship. He was an American citizen from 2007 to 2017. He claimed that his previous Nepali citizenship was revived following the renunciation of his American citizenship. A ruling of the Supreme Court of Nepal on 27 January 2023 removed him from all public offices (deputy prime minister and home minister; party chairman and parliamentary party leader) and as Member of Parliament for not following due process and obtaining a new Nepali citizenship after renouncing his American citizenship in 2017.[33] He re-acquired Nepali citizenship following due process on 29 January 2023.[34]
Dual passport
In 2015, Rabi Lamichhane was accused of obtaining a Nepali passport while holding both U.S. and Nepali passports, which is illegal under Nepali law that forbids dual citizenship and passports.[35] The attorney general of Nepal declined to prosecute Lamichhane for passport issues, with the Supreme Court declining to consider it as part of their case regarding Lamichhane's citizenship.[36][37][38]
National ID Contract Scandal
Another controversy involving Rabi Lamichhane emerged during his tenure as Home Minister, when he approved a highly contentious procedure to award a contract to a private international company for the management and verification of citizens' personal and biometric data related to the National Identity Card system.[39] In clear violation of Nepal’s Public Procurement Act, which mandates a minimum of 45 days for international tenders. Lamichhane authorized a bidding process that lasted only seven days, bypassing necessary consultations with key ministries, including Finance and Law. The awarded company, Advantage International Pvt. Ltd., had already secured five prior contracts with the Department of National Identity and Civil Registration, raising further concerns over favoritism and procedural manipulation. The Cabinet later annulled the procedure and canceled the contract, citing flaws in the process and concerns over state security.[40] A government investigation was launched, and the company’s security deposit was seized. Critics argue that this decision reflected arbitrary and non-transparent governance, especially given the broader opacity of the National ID project, which had long been criticized for its lack of financial and procedural disclosure. Whether knowingly or negligently, Lamichhane's actions have been widely condemned as another instance of misuse of power during his time in office.[41][42]
Foundation Fraud Allegations
Ravi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSWP), is under investigation for fraud, money laundering, and organized crime. He is also accused of misusing funds raised through his "Ravi Lamichhane Foundation," established to build a hospital in Raskot, Kalikot. Despite claiming the foundation was in debt, Lamichhane transferred large sums, including Rs 40 lakh, to his wife Nikita Poudel's account. The funds, which were supposed to support the hospital, were reportedly used for personal expenses. Lamichhane also sought government subsidies by misrepresenting the foundation's financial status, securing Rs 40.9 million from an IMF loan meant for Nepal's economic recovery. The hospital's construction has been criticized for questionable costs and the quality of materials used, sparking further allegations of corruption and embezzlement. [citation needed]
Cooperative
In early 2024, Kantipur Daily began publishing a series of articles alleging Lamichhane's involvement in financial embezzlement from cooperatives.[43] Although the primary accused was Gitendra Babu Rai, who owned the cooperative, Lamichhane was alleged to be involved, as his name and signature were on financial documents.[44] Lamichhane denied all accusations and said that his name and signature were misused.[45]
A parliamentary investigation committee was formed on May 18, 2024, to investigate fraud and embezzlement in Nepal's financial cooperatives.[46] The committee determined that Rai, Lamichhane, and Director Chhabilal Joshi operated a joint account to disburse salaries and allowances to cooperative employees.[47][48] Through spokesperson Manish Jha, the Rastriya Swatantra Party claimed that the report disproves Lamichhane's complicity; however, Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan (also Retd. Inspector General of Police) of the Rastriya Prajantra Party claimed that Lamichhane could still be prosecuted for his involvement.[49][50][51][52][53]
Verdict by the High Court of Nepal
He was arrested on the evening of April 4, 2025, following a ruling by the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court.[54] The court overturned a previous bail decision by the Rupandehi District Court in a cooperative fraud case. Lamichhane faces charges of fraud and organized crime related to the Supreme Cooperative case, which involves allegations of embezzlement of millions of rupees. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with the court while maintaining his innocence.[55] The ruling also paves the way for his transfer to Rupandehi for further legal proceedings.[56]
Verdict by the Supreme Court of Nepal
On May 23, 2025, the Supreme Court of Nepal upheld the Tulsipur High Court's decision, dismissing a habeas corpus petition filed by Lamichhane’s wife and affirming that there was sufficient prima facie evidence of his involvement. The Court concluded that the lower courts did not err in ordering his remand and stated, “Based on the immediately available evidence, it could not be reasonably believed that the defendants were innocent of the alleged offence.” As a result, Lamichhane is to remain in judicial custody until the Rupandehi District Court delivers its verdict. He will only be released if acquitted in the Supreme Cooperative case and cleared of other pending charges. The ruling also emphasized the risk of evidence tampering and the need to preserve public trust in the judiciary. [citation needed]
District Court - Bail Petition
In early August 2025, Lamichhane filed a fresh bail petition at the Rupandehi District Court with a bank guarantee of NPR 27.48 million, the amount linked to him in the cooperative fraud case.[57] The hearing was shifted between benches after one judge recused and the defence sought postponement, which some media described as “bench-shopping.”[58] On 11 August, the court rejected the petition and kept him in custody at Rupandehi/Bhairahawa prison.[59] That day, a lawyer also complained to the Judicial Council, alleging the bail filing was improper and seeking an investigation into related judicial conduct.[60]
Release during and Surrender after the Gen-Z protest
Party president Rabi Lamichhane fled from the Nakkhu jail during the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests[61], to which he later gave justification that it was per the decision of Ministry of Home Affairs. [citation needed] Later the credibility was rejected by the prison administration while he faced mass criticism for indirectly promoting prisoned criminals to run away from prison. Finally Lamichhane surrendered on 13 September 2025.[62][63]
Criticism
While Lamichhane has become a celebrity in Nepal, there are some who have raised questions about his style of journalism and the "cult of personality" that has sprung up around him; critics have pointed to his "nationalist posturing" and "simplistic storylines".[64]
On 5 February 2023, after being stripped of his positions as Home Minister and Member of Parliament by the Supreme Court over irregularities in his citizenship, Lamichhane held a news conference alleging that the Nepali mainstream media had framed him. He alleged that the owners of various media houses had conflicts of interest and had gotten together to defame him. The media called his accusations "an attack on the entire media industry" and that Lamichhane had thrown a temper tantrum after losing his position in government.[65][66]
Personal life
Rabi Lamichhane was married to Isha Lamichhane for 24 years, from 1995 until their divorce in January 2019. Although the couple reportedly separated around 2009, they remained legally married until finalizing their divorce a decade later.[67][68]
They had two daughters together, Richa Lamichhane and Riya Lamichhane, who later moved to the United States with their mother following the separation.[69]
On 21 January 2019, shortly after his divorce, Lamichhane married Nikita Poudel, then chairperson of the Nepal Film Development Board.[70] Both Lamichhane and Poudel were divorcees with children from previous relationships, none of whom live with the couple.
Controversies
Lamichhane’s personal life has been the subject of media coverage and allegations:
Extramarital affair in the United States: While still married to Isha, Lamichhane was alleged to have had a relationship with a foreign woman. His ex-wife claimed that this affair resulted in the birth of a son outside their marriage.[71]
Alleged affair with Nikita Poudel: Before his divorce from Isha, Lamichhane was also linked to Nikita Poudel. Reports alleged that while Isha was living in the United States, he was engaged in a relationship with Poudel, whom he married just days after his divorce in 2019.[72]
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