Nepal & Ex-Delhi Capitals Player Sandeep Lamichhane Found Guilty In Rape Case

Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been found guilty in the rape case. The Kathmandu district court on Friday (29th December) applied the charges on him and the next hearing will determine the jail charges for him.

Last Sunday, a hearing related to Sandeep Lamichhane started and today (29th December), a single bench of Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal passed the order related to him being convicted in the rape case. The court also came to the conclusion that the girl who was the victim wasn’t a minor.

Sandeep Lamichhane was granted bail in January this year after Patan High Court granted the order. A sum of 2 million with conditions was given for his bail. Since then has been out and is playing for the national team. However, now he will be under serious scrutiny and his career might see an end.

The Kathmandu district authority filed a case against Sandeep Lamichhane in August 2021, accusing him of raping a 17-year-old girl. The victim in the very next month then also filed a case against him at the Metropolitan Police Circle in Gaushala.

At the time when the case was filed against him, the leg-spinner was playing Caribbean Premier League (CPL). He was arrested by the Nepal Police at Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6th, 2021.

However, after the charges were applied to Sandeep Lamichhane, the leg-spinner was quite vocal and said that he was innocent. But the court demanded compensation from him for the victim’s alleged physical and mental torture. His bank account and property were frozen.

Sandeep Lamichhane’s career

Sandeep Lamichhanne has made himself a great name in the world of cricket. He has played in leagues all around the world. The leg-spinner has played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

He has been one of the main reasons why Nepal has got recognition in World cricket. Sandeep Lamichhane holds the record of the second-fastest bowler to take 50 ODI wickets and the third-fastest to 50 T20I wickets.

Sandeep Lamichhane has played 51 ODIs so far and he has picked 112 wickets at an average and economy of 18.07 and 4.27 respectively. In the 52 T20Is, he has bagged 98 scalps at an economy of just over 6.

The leg-spinner represented Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League and played 9 games in the season. Nepal spinner in those games picked 13 wickets and after this stint with the team, he didn’t find any bidders.

Overall in 142 T20s, the leg-spinner has picked 206 wickets at an economy of 6.78. He also has picked on a five-wicket haul. Sandeep notably also troubled quite a few big names with his bowling in leagues around the world.

He last played Nepal against Kenya in a T20I in August this year. It remains to be seen what will be his future now after the charges of rape against him.