Nepal’s star cricketer, Sandeep Lamichhane, is facing a grim future after a Nepali court handed him an eight-term jail sentence on Wednesday in connection with a rape case, according to reports from news agency ANI. The verdict, announced by a bench led by Shishir Raj Dhakal, found Lamichhane, the former captain of Nepal’s national cricket team, guilty of raping a minor in 2022.
Lamichhane, a trailblazer for Nepali cricket and the first player from the country to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the Delhi Capitals in 2018, had encountered legal troubles since his arrest in October 2022. The arrest came after a 17-year-old girl accused him of rape in a Kathmandu hotel room in August of that year. Although he had secured a release from custody in January 2023, he was found guilty after a trial in December 2023. At the time of the conviction, Lamichhane was out on bail, and on January 12, the Patan High Court ordered his release on a bail bond of Rs 2 million, subject to specific conditions.
The legal saga had begun in November 2022 when the Kathmandu District Court issued an order to place Lamichhane in the Sundhara-based central jail after a detention hearing. The cricketer promptly challenged this order by appealing to the high court.
On October 6, 2022, Nepal Police apprehended Lamichhane at Tribhuvan International Airport upon his return from Trinidad & Tobago, where he had participated in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The chargesheet sought compensation from Lamichhane for the alleged physical and mental trauma suffered by the victim. Following that, Lamichhane’s bank accounts and properties were frozen.
Known for his leg-spin prowess, Lamichhane had enjoyed a stellar cricket career, featuring prominently in major T20 leagues globally, including the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the CPL. He was the second-fastest bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets, and the third-quickest to get to 50 T20I wickets. Lamichhane’s last international appearance came in August 2023, a T20I against Kenya.
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