Nepalese cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of raping a minor. The Nepali leg spinner had a bright future ahead of him and was one of the most popular names in Nepal. He is the only Nepalese cricketer to play in the Indian Premier League and was the fastest to reach 100 ODI wickets.
According to ANI reports, the Shishir Raj Dhakal court issued the verdict of eight years imprisonment along with penalties and compensation after a hearing today. The news has shocked the entire cricket fraternity as 23-year-old Sandeep Lamichhane’s career comes to a gruesome end after he was found guilty of raping a minor who was said to be 17 years old at the time of the incident.
Sandeep Lamichhane made his international debut for Nepal in May 2018, when he was just 17 years old. A leg-spinner who was unpredictable to batsmen in terms of length and spin. He broke Rashid Khan’s record of being the fastest to 100 wickets in ODI cricket and achieved this feat in just 42 innings. Sandeep has played 51 ODIs and taken 112 wickets at an average of 18.07, while in T20Is he has played 52 matches and taken 98 scalps at an average of 12.58.
Sandeep Lamichhane played for Delhi Capitals in the 2018 season and took 13 wickets in nine matches in his IPL career. He is the only Nepali player to play in the Indian Premier League and also the only player from his country to have taken three five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket.
The player met an early end to his career and a permanent dark stain on his reputation. He will spend eight years in prison and will then be eligible to play cricket for his country again. However, there is a big question mark over his return as his reputation as a cricketer has been completely ruined.
What was the case against Sandeep Lamichhane?
Nepal court sentences star cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane to eight years in prison in rape case
The Shishir Raj Dhakal court today issued the verdict of eight years of imprisonment along with compensation and sanctions, confirmed judicial officer Ramu Sharma.
– ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
On August 21, Sandeep Lamichhane was at a hotel in Tilganga where he raped the minor girl, following which a case was filed against the leg-spinner on September 6, 2022. However, the court rejected his claim that She was a minor at the time of the rape. The court also rejected documents provided by her that showed that she was 17 years old at the time of the incident.
On December 29, 2023, Lamichhane was found guilty of rape and has now been sentenced to eight years in prison. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,00,000 on him and asked him to pay compensation of Rs 2,00,000 to the victim. He was out on bail and playing professional cricket, but now his career will come to a halt and there is no guarantee that he will ever be able to return to professional cricket after being found guilty of such a heinous crime.
