Police detained seven protesters after the clash with Rabi Lamichhane-led Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) cadres in Pokhara on Tuesday afternoon.

Tensions rose in Pokhara as a protest in support of RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane, currently under police custody for investigation on charges of cooperative fraud and organised crime, led to a confrontation with the police.

The police used tear gas when protesters attempted to breach a restricted area. In the ensuing clash, seven protesters were detained, according to police sources.

RSP activists began their protest ahead of Lamichhane’s scheduled court appearance for an extension of his custody at Kaski District Court. The clash occurred when the activists, who were heading towards Y Chowk, were intercepted by the police at Ratna Chowk.

On Tuesday, Lamichhane was brought before the Kaski District Court for a remand extension before Judge Chandrakanta Paudel. Former Deputy Inspector General and Gorkha Media Network co-director Chhabilal Joshi was also presented.

Joshi has been held since September 22, while Lamichhane was detained on October 18 from the RSP central office and transferred to Kaski. The court initially granted six days of custody, later extended by seven more days. Due to the Tihar holiday, Lamichhane appeared before the court on Tuesday after his remand expired on October 30.

In connection with the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case, suspects Leela Pachhai and Ram Bahadur Khanal also faced remand extension requests. Authorities discovered an unauthorised transfer of Rs 30 million from the cooperative to Pachhai’s account.

Khanal, 48, a Tanahun native and shareholder in the Gorkha Group of Companies Limited, was detained by a Central Investigation Bureau team on October 25 in Kathmandu. He also owns Nature Herbs International.

The police are preparing to take former deputy prime minister and home minister Rabi Lamichhane to Butwal for an investigation into allegations of cooperative fraud and organised crime.