Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has received an eight-year jail sentence for rape, as reported by the Kathmandu Post. The Kathmandu District Court’s single-judge bench found Lamichhane guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman last month, and the sentence was officially declared on January 10. Alongside the jail term, a fine of Rs 300,000 (approximately USD 2255) was imposed, with an additional order for Lamichhane to pay Rs 200,000 (approximately USD 1500) in compensation to the victim. Lamichhane’s lawyer, Saroj Ghimire, stated that they plan to appeal the decision in a higher court.
In response to the verdict, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) suspended Lamichhane on January 11, stating, “We inform you that Sandeep Lamichhane has been suspended from any kind of domestic and international cricket activities as he has been convicted and sentenced.”
Earlier in September 2022, Lamichhane, then serving as Nepal’s captain, was suspended by CAN following an arrest warrant issued in Kathmandu related to the case. During this time, Lamichhane was participating in CPL 2022 with Jamaica Tallawahs in the West Indies, but he had to leave the tournament immediately upon the club’s announcement. Upon his arrival in Kathmandu in early October, he was taken into custody.
Before his arrest, Lamichhane, on Facebook, expressed his intent to fully cooperate in the investigation, vowing to fight a legal battle to prove his innocence, and labeled the situation a “conspiracy and wrongful allegation.”
Despite protests from rights groups, Lamichhane returned to the Nepal side in February the following year for a Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at home against Namibia and Scotland. Notably, opposition players did not shake his hand after the games. Subsequently, he was not considered for Nepal’s squad in the Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Dubai in early 2023 but later joined the team as an injury replacement. Lamichhane continued to represent Nepal in various tournaments, including the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe and the ODI Asia Cup in August-September.
On the day of his conviction, December 29, Lamichhane led PARSA Club XI to victory over Nepal Army Club in a Nepal Pro Club Championship match in Birgunj.
