Kathmandu, May 24 -- The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Tulsipur High Court's decision to send Rastriya Swatantra Party chief Rabi Lamichhane to custody in a cooperative fraud and organised crime case.

A division bench of justices Nahakul Subedi and Balkrishna Dhakal quashed the habeas corpus petition filed by Nikita Paudel demanding the release of her husband, Lamichhane. Achyut Kunwar, the court spokesperson, confirmed the order.

"Based on the immediately available evidence, it could not be reasonably believed that the defendants were innocent of the alleged offence," the court said in the order.

"Therefore, the order issued by the Tulsipur High Court on April 4 to keep the petitioners Rabi Lamichhane and Chhabilal Joshi in custo...