Nepal’s star cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, convicted of rape, has received an eight-year prison sentence from the Kathmandu District Court.
On Wednesday, District Judge Shishir Dhakal’s court handed down an eight-year sentence to Lamichhane in the rape case.
Lamichhane was proven guilty in a rape case on December 29. However, another court session was scheduled to determine the duration of Sandeep Lamichhane’s prison sentence as the court stipulated that a separate hearing would be necessary to determine the length of imprisonment, as any term exceeding three years requires distinct consideration to establish the severity of the offence.
Moreover, the bench ordered a fine of Rs three lakhs and a compensation of Rs two lakhs to the victim. A three lakhs fine will also be given to the victim.
A police complaint was registered against Lamichhane for an allegation of raping a minor on September 6, 2022. A couple of days later, Kathmandu police received an arrest warrant against him, and The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) suspended him. A day passed, and He left his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team, saying he would return home soon.
Meanwhile, Nepal Police issued a diffusion notice among all Interpol members, seeking help to arrest him after the cricketer was contactless. However, He took his social media to inform that he was in isolation to deal with the anxiety.
Lamichhane was taken into custody on October 6 after his arrival in Nepal. His remand was pushed further several times for a detailed investigation. On October 31, The government attorney’s office filed a lawsuit, demanding a jail sentence of 10 to 12 years, against the leg break bowler.
He was released on a NRs. 20 lakhs (Rs. 2 million/ USD 15,300) bail by the Patan High Court on January 12, 2023.
