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Nepal's superstar cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane was suspended by the country's cricket body on January 11 following his eight-year prison sentence after being convicted in rape case of an 18-year-old.
The verdict was announced by the Kathmandu District Court on January 10, prompting the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) to release a statement in response to the development.
"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," the CAN said.
A single-judge bench not only imposed a fine of Rs 3,00,000 on the 23-year-old but also mandated him to compensate the victim with Rs 2,00,000.
As reported by 'The Kathmandu Post,' Lamichhane's lawyer Saroj Ghimire said that the cricketer "will appeal the decision in a higher court." In September last year, an arrest warrant issued by the Kathmandu police led to Lamichhane's suspension as the captain of Nepal by the Cricket Association of Nepal.
While participating in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for Jamaica Tallawahs, he was released with immediate effect by the franchise, and he subsequently returned to Kathmandu, where he was arrested.
However, before his arrest, Lamichhane asserted his innocence and denounced the allegations as a "conspiracy."
He made his return to the Nepal side in February of the previous year, despite objections from rights groups in his home country. This comeback occurred during a Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series held in Nepal, where Namibia and Scotland were the other participating teams. Notably, players from the opposing teams refrained from shaking hands with him after the matches. Following this, he was initially excluded from Nepal's squad for the Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Dubai in early 2023. However, he later joined the team as a replacement for an injured player. Since then, he has consistently represented Nepal, participating in events such as the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe in June-July of the same year and the ODI Asia Cup in August-September.
On December 29, the day of his conviction, Lamichhane captained PARSA Club XI to victory against Nepal Army Club in a Nepal Pro Club Championship match held in Birgunj.
Lamichhane has taken over 100 wickets in more than 103 white-ball matches for Nepal. He had also played for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2018 to 2020, securing 13 wickets in nine matches during his tenure.
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