Suspended national cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has been granted bail on Friday.
Lamichhane, who has been charged with raping a minor, was released after posting a $2 million bond set by the Patani High Court.
Responding to a review petition filed by Lamichhane, a joint bench of Justices Dhruva Raj Nanda and Ramesh Dahal on Thursday had ordered the suspended cricketer’s bail.
The Kathmandu District Court had on November 4 passed the order to send Lamichhane to the Sundhara-based Central Jail after a remand hearing. Lamichhane had moved the high court challenging the order.
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 the 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 accused of rape, Lamichhane was in Trinidad & Tobago playing for the 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.
