Kathmandu: A division bench of judges Surya Darshan Dev Bhatta and Anju Uprety Dhakal of Patan High Court acquitted suspended national cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane of rape on Wednesday.
A division bench of judges overturned the verdict of the Kathmandu District Court to hand down an eight-year jail term.
According to Tirtharaj Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Patan High Court, the bench overturned the decision, citing a lack of evidence.
Earlier, the District Court of Kathmandu convicted Lamichhane in the rape case and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment along with a fine.
On January 10, a single bench of Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal convicted the former captain of the national cricket team and pronounced a jail term and fine of half a million rupees for raping a girl in 2022. The half a million rupees—of which Rs 300,000 is fine and the remaining compensation—would be paid to the victim, the court had ordered.
Dissatisfied with the travel restrictions, Lamichhane moved to the Supreme Court, challenging the high court’s decision. On February 27, a division bench of justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Kumar Chudal ruled in favor of the cricketer’s petition, allowing him to travel abroad to play cricket.
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