"I promise everyone to reveal the names" - Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane breaks silence on his rape case
Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane took to social media after nearly five months to break his silence on his rape case controversy.
In January 2024, Kathmandu District Court sentenced Lamichhane to eight years of prison after he was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman. He was fined 300,000 Nepalese rupees ($2,255) and was instructed to pay 200,000 in compensation to the victim.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) immediately suspended the spinner from taking part in any domestic and international matches. In February, the leg-spinner appealed to a higher court, and his request to remain out of custody until the plea is heard was accepted.
Here's what Sandeep Lamichhane tweeted on Wednesday:
"I respect the laws and order of the respective courts but I promise everyone to reveal the names of each and every single individual who played their roles in this conspiracy very soon including everyone who are involved in the case."
The spinner put out another tweet, mentioning that he was a victim of a conspiracy and hoped that truth would prevail in the end.
The case goes back to September 2022 when an arrest warrant was issued against Lamichhane. At the time, he was featuring for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League. As a result, he had to leave the team and return to Kathmandu, where he was taken into custody.
After a few months, Sandeep Lamichhane was out on bail and took 13 wickets in four games in the Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in February, featuring Scotland and Namibia. However, he was left out of the squad for the Cricket World Cup (CWC) League 2 series due to the fans' protests.
Nevertheless, he came in as an injury replacement for Mousom Dhakal after obtaining permission from the court to travel to Dubai and continued to feature for the Nepal side. In fact, he was part of the playing XI against Pakistan and India in the 2023 Asia Cup as well.
However, since November 2023, he has not played any match for the country.
A look at Sandeep Lamichhane's career
The leg-spinner is the highest-profile cricketer in Nepal due to his achievements for the country and his experience of playing in various T20 tournaments around the world.
With 210 wickets across all formats in 103 games, Sandeep Lamichhane is the leading wicket-taker for the Nepal team. Moreover, he has led Nepal in 14 ODIs and 18 T20Is as well.
The 23-year-old has featured for prominent teams like the Delhi Capitals, Lahore Qalandars, Oval Invincibles and Melbourne Stars.