Kathmandu, Nepal, February 27, 2023: The Supreme Court (SC), the apex court of the country, has on Monday lifted the travel ban imposed on rape-accused national cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane. Responding to the writ petition filed by Lamichhane himself, a joint bench of justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Kumar Chudal overturned the earlier verdict of Patan High Court to bar him from traveling to other countries.
The Patan High Court had barred the cricketer Lamichhane from leaving the country though he was permitted to release against a bail amount of Rs 2 million. Challenging to the High Court verdict of January 12, Lamichhane had moved the SC on January 23. Following the high court’s verdict, Cricketer Lamichhane was released from custody on January 13 after posting a bail of Rs2 million.
The SC has also upheld the High Court’s decision to release Lamichhane on bail. Challenging to the verdict of the High Court, the Attorney General’s Office had on January 31 moved to the SC demanding revocation of the order. In the petition, the Attorney General Office had demanded further probe into the rape charges by keeping him in judicial custody.
An alleged teenage girl had lodged a complaint at the Gaushala Police Station accusing Lamichhane of raping her in a hotel room on September 6. Lamichhane had surrendered to the police on October 6 though he had been denying the allegations.
Responding to the writ petition filed against Lamichhane, a single bench of Kathmandu District Court Judge Madhav Prasad Ghimire had ordered to send him to prison for preliminary investigation on November 4.
Following the verdict, Lamichhane's lawyer filed an appeal at the Patan High Court demanding overturn of the order. The Patan High Court had overturned the Kathmandu District Court's decision to send him to prison on January 12.
