After nearly a month, the court issued a warrant for cricket star Sandeep Lamichhane‘s arrest upon his return to Nepal for the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl.
According to Dinesh Raj Mainali, a spokesman for the Kathmandu district police, Lamichhane, the face of cricket’s rising fame in Nepal, was detained as soon as he landed.
He was quickly led from the Kathmandu airport to a police van that was waiting outside while donning a black mask, a black cap, and a white hoodie.
Lamichhane had earlier announced on his Facebook page that he was going back to his house to refute the charges.
Lamichhane’s statement
“I will completely assist with the investigation at all times and seek to have my innocence vindicated in court. Let justice be done,” Lamichhane wrote in a post.
Following the issuance of an arrest order by a local court on Sept 8 for Lamichhane, 22, the captaincy of Nepal’s cricket team was suspended.
It came after the 17-year-old claimed that the cricketer had sexually assaulted her in a Kathmandu hotel room in August.
But he, who was playing in the Caribbean Premier League in the West Indies, failed to make it back to Nepal.
Increasingly popular
In contrast to other parts of South Asia, cricket is not as well-liked in Nepal’s hilly region.
The world’s governing body granted Nepal one-day international status in 2018, which contributed to its rising popularity.
Lamichhane has played a significant role in Nepali cricket’s ascent to the top of the world’s lucrative competitions.
The leg spinner’s big break came in 2018, when the Indian Premier League, the biggest cricket competition in the world, snatched him up.
In a social media post from last month, Lamichhane reiterated that the accusations against him were unfounded and defended his decision to stay away from Nepal.
“The news that an arrest warrant had been issued for me… affected my mental state. I was at a loss for what to do and what to avoid,” he stated.
My health is progressively getting better, and I intend to go back to Nepal as soon as I can to vigorously refute the accusations.
Soon after, Nepali police said that they had requested assistance from Interpol with a “diffusion” notice, seeking member nations’ assistance in returning Lamichhane to the nation to face charges.
More controversial stories regarding sportsmen can be found here.