The District Attorney’s Office of Kathmandu on Monday filed a chargesheet in the Kathmandu District Court against suspended national cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane accusing him of rape.
District Attorney Laxman Upadhyay informed that a charge of rape has been filed against Lamichhane in court on Monday.
“We have filed the chargesheet in the district court seeking a jail term of 10-12 years for the rape charge,” Upadhyay said. “We raised the case today. Tomorrow we will know which judge will preside over the case according to the lottery system. Then the court will hear the statement of the accused and the formal hearing will begin.”
Lamichhane is accused of raping a 17-year-old minor on August 21. An investigation is being conducted against him under Article 219 of the Criminal Code 2074. If the crime against him is proven, he will be sentenced to imprisonment from 10 to 12 years. according to existing legal provisions.
The minor had filed a case against the cricketer on September 6 in Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushalle.
Earlier, the District Court had issued an arrest warrant against the 22-year-old cricketer on September 7 acting on the case filed by Gaushala Police Circle after the girl accused him of rape.
Following the arrest warrant, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) suspended the world-beating leg-spinner. When he was charged with rape, Lamichhane was in Trinidad & Tobago playing for Twenty20 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Jamaica Tallawahs.
Lamichhane wrote on Facebook the same day claiming he was innocent and would return to Nepal to seek justice. However, after he mysteriously disappeared, the Nepal Police issued a widespread notice through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
On October 1, Lamichhane announced that he would return to Nepal on October 6 to face legal charges. Shortly after he landed at the airport, he was arrested by Immigration Department officials and plainclothes personnel.
