(Cricket News) Sandeep Lamichhane, a leg-spinner for Nepal, has been sentenced to eight years in prison. The Kathmandu Post reports that the verdict was delivered by a single bench of Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal on Wednesday, January 10. In addition to the sentence, the former captain of Nepal has been fined Rs. 3 lakh and ordered to pay Rs. 2 lakhs as compensation to the victim.
The victim filed a case against Lamichhane in September 2022, accusing the cricketer of rape in August 2021. Following months of trial and investigation, Lamicchane was ultimately found guilty of the crime on December 29, 2023. It was then decided that the extent of punishment would be revealed in January.
Lamichhane was arrested following his return from the 2022 Caribbean Premier League, and the leg-spinner moved to the high court, challenging the district court’s order to send him to the Central Jail in Sundhara. The case had its ups and downs, with the court quashing the victim’s initial claims that he was a minor at the time of the incident.
The trial and investigation proceeded, but Lamichhane’s freedom of movement was curtailed. He was prohibited from leaving Nepal and had to notify the police ahead of time if he planned to leave the city.
Nevertheless, Lamichhane received a temporary reprieve when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of him regarding the restrictions, which were eventually lifted. This meant that Lamichhane could play cricket and continue to play for Nepal as well as in franchise leagues until 2023.
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