A day after an arrest warrant was issued against him, the captain of the Nepalese cricket team, Sandeep Lamichhane, issued a statement on Friday denying the allegations of rape made by a 17-year-old girl who accuses him. He also stated that he would return to his country to defend himself against the allegations. “The cricket player made this assertion in a press release that was shared throughout social networks. “I am INNOCENT and I sincerely trust in the respectable laws of Nepal,” the release read.
An investigation was started on Tuesday after a complaint was filed against the famous player by a 17-year-old girl who was accompanied by a guardian. The girl claimed that the famous player had raped her in a hotel room on August 22 after they had spent the evening together. A Nepalese court issued an arrest warrant for rising cricketing star Sandeep Lamichhane on Thursday in connection with the alleged rape of a minor. He was also suspended from his position as head of the
At the age of 22, he is a prominent figure in the development of Nepalese cricket and currently competes in the tournament of the Caribbean Cricket League (CPL) for the Jamaica Tallawahs. This competition takes place all over the West Indies “He stated, “I have made the decision to take a leave of absence from CPL and will be returning to my country within the next few days. I am prepared to face all of these unfounded allegations.” Let justice be done to the innocent, and an investigation should be conducted into everyone who was involved. Prashant Bikram Malla, interim secretary of the Nepal Cricket Association, told reporters on Thursday that he spoke with Sandeep Lamichhane and briefed officials from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the subject. “He’s our player. I hope the law will be equitable for everybody.” If it turns out that he’s committed a crime, we won’t try to protect or defend him in any way. In accordance with the viewpoint taken by the Nepal Cricket Association, Mr. Malla stated.
According to the Nepalese police, there were approximately 2,300 cases of rape registered in the country in 2017. However, rights groups point out that many assaults go unreported in this strongly patriarchal society. During the #MeToo movement in Nepal, just a small number of women have chosen to speak up, and the accused perpetrators of the attacks have gotten little or no notice from the government. However, the allegations against Sandeep Lamichhane were brought forward after well-known actor Paul Shah was found guilty of sexually assaulting a kid. This Monday, he was found guilty of the crime and given a sentence of two and a half years in prison in addition to being ordered to pay restitution to the victim. During the month of May, hundreds of people took to the streets of Kathmandu to demand improved legal protections and stronger penalties for those who commit sexual assault.
