After recording statements for four consecutive days, the Kathmandu District Court on Friday remanded national cricket captain Sandeep Lamichhane on a rape charge.
A single bench of Justice Madhav Prasad Ghimire passed the order to send the cricketer to Central Jail, Sundhara, after the remand hearing was over. Lamichhane has been in police custody since he was arrested on October 6.
On the court’s order, Lamichhane now has to remain in jail until the court gives a final verdict on the case that has attracted much attention in the cricketing fraternity. However, Lamichhane can appeal to a higher court against the decision.
“Lamichhane will now have to fight the case from custody until a final decision is taken,” said Deepak Dahal, information officer at the Kathmandu District Court.
On Monday, the Kathmandu District Prosecutor’s Office filed a charge sheet in the Kathmandu District Court against Lamichhane, accusing him of raping a 17-year-old girl.
The court had started recording the statements of both the defendant and the plaintiff from Tuesday.
During the closed-door recording, 10 lawyers, including four senior advocates — Krishna Prasad Sapkota, Lava Kumar Mainali, Sabita Bhandari Baral and Raman Kumar Shrestha — had defended Lamichhane, according to Dahal.
On the part of the minor girl, four prosecutors; Krishna Bhandari, Shanti Kafle, Mahesh Prasad Khatri, Laxman Upadhayay had participated in the recordings.
“The government’s request ended on Wednesday. The detention hearing was extended as Lamichhane hired more lawyers,” said Dahal.
Lamichhane is accused of raping the minor on August 21. He has been charged under Article 219 of the Criminal Code 2074.
Through the charge sheet, the district attorney had sought compensation from Lamichhane for the alleged physical and mental torture of the victim caused by Lamichhane’s alleged act. After the chargesheet was filed, Lamichhane’s bank account and property were frozen.
If the charge against him is proven, he is sentenced to imprisonment from 10 to 12 years according to the existing legal provisions.
Last week, the Nepal Police, after an investigation, said that Lamichhane had indeed raped the minor. However, he and his lawyers have denied the charge.
Superintendent of Police Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson of the Kathmandu District Police Range, said the police have submitted adequate evidence in court against Lamichhane.
“Until Thursday, he was kept at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala, from Friday onwards, he will be in custody at Sundhara Central Jail,” Mainali said.
In her statement, the minor girl had told the police that Lamichhane had raped her twice. In her statement to the police, the girl had said that she had met Lamichhane through the social networking application Snapchat. She had also stated that the cricketer forcibly took her to Nagarkot and took her back to a hotel in Tilganga, Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, Lamichhane in his statement to the police said that he took the minor to Nagarkot at the girl’s wish. He also said that the girl who has declared herself as a victim has accepted her age of 19.
The minor had lodged a complaint against the 22-year-old cricketer on September 6 at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushalle.
On September 7, the Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against Lamichhane.
Following the arrest warrant, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) suspended the world-beating leg-spinner. When accused of 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 circulated an Interpol bulletin against Lamichhane.
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.
