Nepal’s Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant relief to Sandeep Lamicchane, who finds himself facing charges of sexual assault against a minor in August last year. Since the charge has come to the docket of the Nepali Supreme Court, Lamicchane, who was placed in police custody, was released after paying a bail bond of Rs.2 Million, but was not permitted to leave the country under any circumstances whatsoever, until the completion of the court proceedings in relation to the case.
The cricketer had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to lift his travel ban to be able to compete in the triangular series between Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, and Papua New Guinea, even the office of the Attorney General of Nepal had challenged the apex court’s decision to grant him bail. However, the request to revoke the travel ban was quashed by the single-judge bench of Justice Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada.
Last week, Lamichhane’s contribution to the Nepal squad was highlighted by his 13 wickets in four games in the tri-series against Scotland and Namibia. Despite the fact that all four games ended in close results, Nepal were able to register victories in all four of those encounters. Lamichhane claimed three-wicket hauls in each of the first three games before scalping four wickets in the final against Scotland.
Fans and rivals both voiced opposition to his involvement in the series. Namibia chose to bump fists instead of shaking hands with the accused Lamichhane following one of their matches, while Scotland refused to indulge in any sort of contact with Lamichhane throughout the. Prior to the start of the series, the boards of both visiting teams released statements denouncing gender-based violence.
Although Lamicchane was not part of Nepal’s 15-member provisional squad for the tri-series in the UAE, the situation was believed to be flexible in the event of a favourable verdict by the Supreme Court. However, no changes are expected to be made after the decision of the judiciary on the matter.
