April 8, Biratnagar — Depositors defrauded by Barah Savings and Credit Cooperative Limited in Dharan have sent a letter to Ravi Lamichhane, Chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), urging the return of their savings. The Barah Cooperative Victims Coordination Committee wrote to Lamichhane requesting the recovery of nearly NPR 1.1 billion in savings. Victims have reported that the cooperative has embezzled funds belonging to almost 10,000 ordinary depositors across the country, including Dharan in Sunsari district.
Since December 2021, depositors have been unable to retrieve their money due to the absence of repayments and the disappearance of the cooperative’s management, plunging thousands of families into crisis, according to the letter. Invoking the commitments made by RSP during elections, victims have appealed to Lamichhane to help create a conducive environment for recovering the depositors’ funds.
Following the disappearance of key officials, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City’s executive committee declared Barah Cooperative ‘distressed’ on September 7, 2025. However, the lack of substantive action since then has left victims dissatisfied. The Coordination Committee has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the cooperative’s assets and liabilities, the arrest and prosecution of main executives, and concrete measures to refund the savings. After the distress declaration, chairman Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, director Amar Bahadur Bishwakarma, and Ganga Bahadur Kalikote have been absconding. The letter sent to Ravi Lamichhane outlines these concerns in detail.
