Sandeep Lamichhane, previously sentenced to eight years in prison for rape, has been cleared of all charges by the Patan High Court, allowing him to rejoin Nepal’s national squad for the T20 World Cup.
Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane was relieved on Wednesday after being acquitted of rape charges by the Patan High Court, overturning the previous Kathmandu District Court verdict. Judges Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and Anju Upreti Dhakal cleared Lamichhane of all charges, as confirmed by High Court deputy registrar Bimal Parajuli.
It is also reported that Lamichhane will be available for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, although official confirmation is still pending. Nepal has already announced their 15-player squad, led by Rohit Paudel, but ICC rules allow changes to the squad until May 25, making it likely that Lamichhane could be included.
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Last December, the Kathmandu District Court found Sandeep Lamichhane guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman and sentenced him to eight years in prison in January 2024. At the time, Lamichhane was playing for Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League but was released and returned to Kathmandu, where he was arrested.
The High Court Government Attorney Office appealed for a harsher sentence on March 12, while Lamichhane appealed against the guilty verdict. On February 22, the Patan High Court allowed him to appeal and granted him bail. Despite being reconsidered for Nepal’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series last February, he was later dropped for the series in Dubai. Now, he has been acquitted by the Patan High Court, clearing his path to play in the T20 World Cup 2024.
He has taken over 100 wickets in more than 100 white-ball matches for Nepal. Sandeep also played briefly for Delhi Capitals in the IPL from 2018 to 2020, taking 13 wickets in nine games.
Last Updated on May 15, 2024
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