January 10: The District Court, Kathmandu has handed down an eight-year jail sentence to Nepal’s star cricketer Sandip Lamichhane, after finding him guilty of rape.

Lamichhane, a vital member of the national cricket team, has also been ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 500,000 in fine and compensation to the victim girl.    
According to the state news agency RSS, District Court Judge Sishi Raj Dhakal had issued the verdict earlier on December 29 convicting Lamichhane in the rape case. The sentence was announced only on Wednesday.    
Lamichhane was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6, 2022 after a complaint was filed against him for allegedly raping a minor on September 6, 2022.  

The twenty-three-year-old left arm spinner is a former captain of the Nepali national cricket team. He raised quite a few eyebrows when he made his debut in the money-spinning Indian Premier League in 2018 as a teenager. He also has the experience of playing in Australia’s Big Bash and other major leagues worldwide. He is also the highest ODI wicket-taker for Nepal.