Sandeep Lamichhane Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison In Rape Case

Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has been sentenced to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of raping a minor. The leg-spinner from Nepal 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.

As per reports in ANI, the bench of Shishir Raj Dhakal gave the verdict of eight years of imprisonment alongside penalties and compensation after a hearing today. The news has sent shockwaves all around the cricketing fraternity as the career of 23-year-old Sandeep Lamichhane comes to a horrific end after he was found guilty of raping a minor who was said to be 17 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 for the batters in terms of length and turn. He broke Rashid Khan‘s record of the fastest to 100 wickets in ODI cricket achieving this feat in just 42 innings. Sandeep has played 51 ODIs and has taken 112 wickets at an average of 18.07 whereas in T20Is he has played 52 matches and has taken 98 scalps at an average of 12.58.

Sandeep Lamichhane played for Delhi Capitals in the 2018 season and has taken 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 take three five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket.

The leg-spinner had an early end to his career and a permanent dark patch on his reputation. He will spend eight years in prison and after that, he will be eligible again to play cricket for his country. However, there is a huge question mark on his comeback as his reputation as a cricketer has been spoiled completely.

What Was The Case Against Sandeep Lamichhane?

Nepal court sentences eight years imprisonment to star cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane in a rape case

The bench of Shishir Raj Dhakal handed over the verdict of 8 years imprisonment along with compensation and penalties after a hearing today, confirms court official Ramu Sharma.

— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024

On August 21, Sandeep Lamichhane was in a Tilganga-based hotel where he raped the minor after which a case was lodged against the leg-spinner on September 6, 2022.  The court, however, refused her claim that she was a minor at the time of the rape. The court also refused the documents provided by her which showed that she was 17 at the time of the incident.

On December 29, 2023, Lamichhane was convicted of the rape and now he has been sentenced to eight years of imprisonment. The bench also slapped a Rs 3,00,000 in fine and asked him to pay a compensation of Rs 2,00,000 to the victim. He was out on bail and was playing professional cricket but now his career will come to a halt and there is no guarantee that he could ever return to professional cricket after being convicted of such a heinous crime.