Sandeep Lamichhane suspended by Nepal cricket board after rape charges

Nepal national cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane has been suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal after being charged with raping a minor girl in Kathmandu.

The leg spinner is currently in the Caribbean islands, plying his trade for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League. The Cricket Association of Nepal confirmed the development in a press release.

Kathmandu police on Thursday confirmed that the star player has been accused by a 17-year-old girl of raping her in a hotel room in the capital city. The girl filed an FIR at the Gaushala Metropolitan Police Circle in Kathmandu on Tuesday where she accused the leg-spinner of raping her around three weeks ago.

The alleged victim stated that she was a fan of the leg spinner and used to chat with him on social media apps Whatsapp and Snapchat. She further confirmed that it was Lamichhane who proposed for a meeting.

As per the FIR lodged against him, it was learnt that Lamichhane took the girl around Kathmandu city and Bhaktapur on August 21 and later raped her in a hotel in Kathmandu on the same day.

Local police have been collecting the required evidence, which also includes CCTV footage, but are yet to reach a conclusion without properly investigating the matter.

Kathmandu Valley Police Office chief Rabindra Prasad Dhanuk said (as quoted by The Telegraph):

"The police are sensitive to such serious incidents. We have made the supposed survivor undergo a health checkup and have launched an investigation."

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Sandeep Lamichhane was the first Nepal cricketer to play in the IPL

Over the years, the leg-spinner has emerged as the first global cricketing star from the nation, so this comes as a huge setback for his nation. He also became the first player from Nepal to ply his trade in the Indian Premier League when he was signed by the Delhi Capitals in 2018.

Lamichhane, who is part of Jamaica Tallawahs' squad in the CPL, is yet to play a match for them this season.