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Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane handed 8 years jail sentence for rape

During his time with Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL 2022 in the West Indies, Lamichhane had to abruptly exit the tournament upon the arrest warrant.

By Omar | Jan 10, 2024 | 2 Min Read

Sandeep Lamichhane has been handed an 8-year jail sentence for rape by a Kathmandu court, as reported by the Kathmandu Post. The verdict was delivered on January 10 by a single-judge bench of the Kathmandu District Court, which had previously found the Nepal’s former skipper guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman in the preceding month.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,00,000 on Sandeep and mandated him to pay Rs 2,00,000 as compensation to the victim. Lamichhane’s lawyer, Saroj Ghimire, stated that they intend to appeal the decision in a higher court. In September of the previous year, Lamichhane, then the Nepal captain, faced suspension from the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him in Kathmandu. The suspension occurred after a complaint had been lodged against Lamichhane in a local police station.

During his time with Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL 2022 in the West Indies, Lamichhane had to abruptly exit the tournament upon the arrest warrant. Upon returning to Kathmandu in October, he was taken into custody.

Prior to his arrest, Lamichhane had asserted on Facebook his commitment to cooperating with the investigation and fighting a legal battle to prove his innocence, referring to the allegations as a “conspiracy.”

Despite the legal challenges, Lamichhane made a comeback to the Nepal side in February of the following year, amidst protests from rights groups. However, his return was marked by notable incidents, including opposition players refusing to shake hands with him during a Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at home against Namibia and Scotland.

While he was not initially included in Nepal’s squad for the Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Dubai in early 2023, Lamichhane joined the team later as an injury replacement. He continued representing Nepal in subsequent tournaments, such as the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe and the ODI Asia Cup.

Remarkably, on December 29, the day of his conviction, Lamichhane led PARSA Club XI to victory over Nepal Army Club in a Nepal Pro Club Championship match in Birgunj.