In a major update following allegations of rape levelled against him, Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane decided to issue a response from his side on Friday.
This is the first time that Sandeep has decided to speak out publicly after a Nepal court issued an arrest warrant against him following a 17-year-old girl’s complaint that he had raped her in a hotel room in Kathmandu. The 22-year-old cricketer denied all the charges, calling it baseless.
“I am INNOCENT & keep complete faith in the respectable laws of Nepal. I have decided to take a leave from CPL and go back to my country within a few days. I am ready to face all these baseless allegations. May justice be served to the innocent & right investigation to be done towards everyone involved. Hope the law acts equal to everyone,” Sandeep posted on his official Twitter handle.
The Nepal captain was on Thursday suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) after an arrest warrant was issued against him. When the decision was made, Lamichhane was in West Indies with Carribean Premier League (CPL) side Jamaica Tallawahs.
The leg-spinner has not featured in any of the side’s three matches so far in the T20 league, and the franchise on Thursday announced that he would be leaving the tournament with immediate effect.
Sandeep himself has now made it public that he would be leaving CPL and would return to his country in a few days.
According to the case filed at the Police Circle Gaushala on Tuesday, Lamichhane allegedly took the girl to various places in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur for a visit on 21 August and raped her in a hotel in Kathmandu the same night.
Kathmandu District Court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Laimchhane, who denied the charges.
Police said that they are investigating the matter and collecting evidence, including CCTV footage, regarding the incident.
Sandeep’s first international breakthrough came when he became the first cricketer from Nepal to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he made his debut for the Delhi Capitals franchise in 2018.
The country’s most high-profile cricketer, Sandeep, was recently appointed the captain of Nepal's national cricket team.
During a telephone conversation with the CAN officials, Lamichhane denied the charges, saying he is innocent, a media report said, quoting the CAN officials. Lamichhane had earlier said that he would return to Nepal after the CPL.
(With inputs from PTI)
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