Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane Found Guilty of Rape

In a significant development, the Kathmandu District Court has delivered its verdict in the rape case against cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane. Today, on Friday, December 29, the court found Lamichhane guilty of the charges brought against him.

The decision comes after a series of hearings and debates that took place in recent days. The court had been considering arguments from both the legal team representing the government lawyer and Gaushala 26, as well as Lamichhane’s defense.

The next hearing is scheduled to determine the jail term for Lamichhane . Currently out on bail, Lamichhane was released on January 12 by the Patan High Court. In response to a review petition filed by Lamichhane, a joint bench of judges Dhruva Raj Nanda and Ramesh Dahal ordered his release on a bail bond of Rs2 million with conditions.

On November 4, 2022, the Kathmandu District Court had initially ordered Lamichhane to be sent to the Sundhara-based central jail after a detention hearing. Lamichhane contested this order by moving the high court.

The Kathmandu District Attorney’s Office had filed a case against Lamichhane, accusing him of raping a 17-year-old girl on August 21, charging him under Section 219 of the Criminal Code 2074. The girl had filed the case against the 22-year-old cricketer on September 6 at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala.

Lamichhane, who was in Trinidad & Tobago to play in the Caribbean Premier League, was arrested by Nepal Police on October 6 from Tribhuvan International Airport. The district attorney, through the chargesheet, had demanded compensation from Lamichhane for the victim’s alleged physical and mental torture, leading to the freezing of his bank account and property.