Kathmandu police revealed that they have registered a complaint from a 17-year-old girl that Nepal national team skipper Sandeep Lamichhane, 22, raped her twice. The player, who is currently in the Caribbean for the CPL, has not made any statement yet after a minor lodged a rape complaint against him in Kathmandu.
Rabindra Singh Dhanuk, Kathmandu Valley Police Office chief told Setopati that a complaint has been filed and the supposed victim is under police protection.
“A rape complaint has been filed against Sandeep Lamichhane. It’s a minor’s complaint, I will give further details regarding this tomorrow. The victim’s health check-up has also been performed this evening,”
he said.
The 17-year-old girl alleged that she was raped in a hotel room in Kathmandu. The minor was introduced to Lamichhane by a friend, after which she had gone to Nagarkot last month. The player left to feature in T20 internationals to Kenya straight afterwards before flying to the Caribbean, where he plays for Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League.
The allegations, if true, could be a huge blow for Nepal cricket. The leg-spinner is one of the promising spinners in world cricket and has received several contracts from various T20 leagues around the globe.
He has represented Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League previously between 2018 and 2020 and is a popular overseas player in Australia’s Big Bash League. Lamichhane has played 136 T20 matches in his career so far, picking 193 wickets at an economy of 6.85 and strike rate of 15.5.