Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane found guilty of rape

KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu District Court has found former Nepali national men’s cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane guilty of sexual assault on a minor girl.

A single bench of District Judge Sishir Raj Dhakal delivered the verdict on Friday. The district court will hand punishment to Lamichhane on January 10, according to Chandra Prasad Panthi, the spokesperson for the Kathmandu District Court.

As per the Criminal Code, 2017, the district court can slap a jail term of 10-12 years for the rape of a minor.

The minor girl, codenamed ‘Gaushala 26’ by the police, filed a complaint against Lamichhane at the Gaushala Police Circle on September 6, 2022. In her complaint, she claimed that Lamichhane raped her on the night of August 21 at a hotel in Gaushala.

The District Government Attorney Office, Kathmandu, filed a chargesheet against Lamichhane at Kathmandu District Court on  October 31. Although the district court sent Lamichhane to jail after a detention hearing on November 4, the Patan High Court on January 12 ordered the release of Lamichhane on a bail bond of Rs 2 million.