Kathmandu: Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has been handed an eight-year prison sentence by the Kathmandu District Court following his conviction in a rape case. The verdict was delivered by Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal in a single-bench hearing at the court.
Lamichhane was found guilty on December 29, and the sentencing hearing took place today. The court determined that Lamichhane exploited the financial vulnerability of the victim, leading to the conviction on charges of rape.
The case, initially registered in October 2022 at the Kathmandu District Court, involved allegations of the rape of a minor. Despite the court concluding that the victim, known as Gaushala 26, had reached the age of 18, Lamichhane was still found guilty of rape.
The court justified its decision by citing the lack of consent, invoking Section 219 (1, 2, and 3) (e) of the Civil Code 2074. The ruling emphasized that the act was non-consensual, resulting in the conviction of the cricketer.