KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 8
The Cricket Association of Nepal today suspended the national team captain Sandeep Lamichhane after the Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against him in a rape case involving a minor.
A 17-year-old girl on Wednesday filed an FIR against Lamichhane accusing him of rape at a hotel in Kathmandu on August 21, on the eve of the national team's departure to Nairobi for five-match Twenty20 International and three-match One Day series against Kenya.
The Kathmandu district court today issued an arrest warrant against Lamichhane, who is in the West Indies to play for Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League. Nepal Police has already said they would request Interpol to arrest Lamichhane, if needed.
"As the Kathmandu district court issued an arrest warrant against the national team skipper Sandeep Lamichhane for further investigation in a rape case involving a minor, the steering committee today decided to suspend him from the national team," said CAN in a release.
According to CAN, office bearers available in Kathmandu discussed the matter in an informal meeting in the evening and decided to suspend Lamichhane to help in the police investigation.
Earlier, CAN Acting Secretary Prashant Bikram Malla said the International Cricket Council was also concerned on the issue.
"The ICC has taken the issue seriously and senior officials from the world cricket governing body have repeatedly asked us about the case," said Malla during the opening ceremony of the men's T20 Cricket Tournament in the ninth National Games at TU Stadium. "We have informed ICC officials about the matter and we are in constant touch with them," he added.
Malla said he talked to Lamichhane last night regarding the case. "Lamichhane claimed that he was innocent," said Malla.
"When I said that an FIR had already been filed against him, Lamichhane asked me and CAN to support him and also hire best lawyers to fight the case," Malla added.
"As this is a legal matter, CAN will not support him in covering up anything. But he has the right to fight the battle and as a guardian we will help him find top lawyers," he said.
Malla said the CPL would end on September 25 and Lamichhane was expected to return to Nepal after that. Lamichhane has been the skipper of the Nepal cricket team since December 2021.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 9, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
