Nepal Cricket Team’s Former Skipper Sandeep Lamichhane Arrested in Kathmandu Amid Rape Accusations
Nepali cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane (C) is escorted by police after being taken into custody to face rape charges, at Tribhuvan international airport in Kathmandu on October 6, 2022. 
Rahul Trivedi Sandeep Lamichhane began his career in 2016 when he was selected to join Nepal’s under-19 cricket team for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He rose to fame after becoming the first cricketer from Nepal to play in the Indian Premier League in 2018. Since then, he has been the most sought-after Nepali cricketer in international Twenty20 leagues.The Nepal cricket team’s former skipper Sandeep Lamichhane, who has been accused of raping an underage girl, was arrested in Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport and taken into custody on Thursday.The cricketer had posted on his social media that he was returning to his country to fight the charges.”I will fully cooperate in all stages of investigation and will fight legal battle to prove my innocence. Let the justice prevail,” Lamichhane said in his post.Denying any wrongdoing, the former skipper said: “I am sure I will get justice and will return to the cricket ground soon to make the name and fame of my beloved country and I pray for a speedy trial.”According to media reports, a 17-year-old girl filed a case against Lamichhane on September 6 alleging that the cricketer took her to various places in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur on August 21 and brought her to a hotel in Kathmandu where she was raped the same night.On the same day, the cricketer insisted on social media that he was innocent and would return to Nepal within a few days to prove it.“I am ready to face all the baseless allegations. Hope the law acts equal to everyone,” Lamichhane said in his post. He was playing in the Caribbean Premier League for the Jamaica Tallawahs when the allegations were made against him.He was suspended as captain of the national cricket team after a court issued an arrest warrant against him on September 8th.Nepalese police had also issued a notice through Interpol against him after which he was added to the Interpol police fugitive list.
