Nepal Court Indicts Ex-Cricket Captain Sandeep Lamichhane In Minor Rape Case

Sandeep Lamichhane, who had played for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, was accused of raping a minor in 2021 and was also arrested.

Kathmandu: The Kathmandu District Court has found former men’s cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane guilty in a minor rape case on Friday. The verdict was announced by District Court Judge Shirish Raj Dhakal, thus concluding the final hearing. Lamichhane was accused of raping a minor in August 2021. He was playing in the Caribbean Premier League at that time.

The leg-spinner, who is the only Nepal cricketer till date to play in the Indian Premier League, was arrested on October 6, 2021, upon his landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport. However, he was released on bail the next year.

The court announced that the sentence and fine against Lamichhane will be declared on January 10 next year. Although the victim was claimed to be a minor but upon age verification, she was found to be an adult at the time of the incident. The victim had sought 10-12 years of jail term for Lamichhane.
However, it was confirmed that Lamichhane had made relationship without consent.

The Dictrict attorney through the chargesheet also demanded compensation from Lamichhane for the mental and physical torture that the victim went through. However, after the chargesheet was submitted, Lamichhane’s bank account and property were frozen.