KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 1

Sandeep Lamichhane, former captain of national cricket team, has announced that he will arrive in Nepal on October 6 and surrender to the authorities to fight a legal battle.

Lamichhane, a celebrated cricket player and former captain of the national cricket team, has been accused of rape by a 17-year-old girl.

Taking to his Facebook page today, Lamichhane said he would surrender to fight a legal battle against false allegations. 'With great hope and strength, I hereby, announce that I am reaching my home country, Nepal on 6 October 2022 and will submit myself to the authority of Nepal to fight a legal battle against this false allegation,' he wrote.

Lamichhane reiterated that he was innocent and he had unshakable faith in Nepal's justice system. He said, 'I firmly believe in all the law enforcement authorities and hope for fair trial and adjudication from the respected courts. I am hopeful I will get justice at the earliest.'Addressing his well wishers, he further said he hadn't betrayed them and that all the wrongful allegations would unfold in time.

On September 6, a girl along with her guardian (elder brother), had filed a complaint against Lamichhane at Gausala Police Circle.

The girl has accused him of raping her at a hotel room in Sinamangal, Kathmandu, on the night of August 21. After leaving the hotel early morning the very next day, Lamichhane had left for Kenya to participate in the Cricket T-20 series in Nairobi, Kenya. Later, he had travelled to the West Indies to participate in the Caribbean Premier League.

Lamichhane faced the charge while he was captain of the national cricket team.

Later, the Cricket Association of Nepal also suspended him from the national squad following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.

On September 6, INTER- POL had issued a diffusion notice after Nepal Police failed to locate Lamichhane's whereabouts.

With the diffusion notice, police of 194 member countries of Interpol can now arrest and send him to Nepal for investigation into the allegation.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 2, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.