KATHMANDU: The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) suspended rape-convicted former national team captain Sandeep Lamichhane from all national and international games.
In a press release issued on Thursday by the nation’s cricket governing body, Chatur Bahadur Chand, chairman of CAN, announced that the rape-convicted player has been removed from the national team and will no longer represent the nation in any game format.
The decision of the cricketing body comes a day after the Kathmandu High Court sentenced the spinner to an 8-year jail term after he was proven guilty of rape. The bench of Shishir Raj Dhakal handed over the verdict of 8 years imprisonment along with compensation and penalties after a hearing on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Kathmandu district court had indicted Lamichhane in the rape case. The court had paused the hearing time and again after Sandeep travelled to Zimbabwe to participate in the World Cup qualifiers. Lamichhane, who stayed behind bars for a few months, was released on bail in January last and later allowed to travel abroad.
The Patan High Court had repealed the order of the Kathmandu district court to send Lamichhane to judicial custody in the case, citing lack of grounds to keep him in custody. He was released on bail of Rs 2 million the next day.
Lamichhane had also moved to the SC, demanding he be allowed to travel with the national team to the UAE to play ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 matches against the UAE and Papua New Guinea at the end of February. Lamichhane had denied the rape allegation in his statements to police. (ANI)