Former Nepal men's cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a rape case in which he was convicted in December 2023.
Lamichhane was found guilty of raping the girl at a hotel in Kathmandu in August 2022. He was found guilty after a week-long hearing. The court also concluded that the victim was not a minor at the time of the rape.
"The court has sentenced him to eight years," revealed Kathmandu district court official Ramu Sharma to AFP.
He was also directed to pay a court fine of 300,000 Nepalese rupees ($2,255) and an additional 200,000 rupees ($1,500) to the victim "considering the mental impact" his assault had on her.
Lamichhane, who is not currently in custody, was absent from court during the sentencing. His lawyer, Saroj Ghimire, informed AFP that he "will appeal the decision in a higher court."
Lamichhane was appointed the captain of the Nepal side in 2021. He led Nepal in 18 T20Is and 14 ODIs. He was immediately sacked after the rape case allegation. He continued to play cricket after getting the bail. He was released on INR 2 million bail in January 2023 by Patan High Court.
The skilled leg-spinner, known for his potent googly, was highly sought after in various prestigious T20 leagues worldwide, including the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The talented cricketer boasts the record of the second-fastest bowler in the world to reach 50 wickets in ODIs and the third-fastest to achieve the same milestone in T20Is.
The 23-year-old has represented Nepal in 51 ODIs and 52 T20Is taking 112 and 98 matches respectively. He has played for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the 2018 edition, he became the first Nepal cricketer to play in IPL. He has 13 wickets from nine appearances for DC in two seasons before getting released.
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