Kathmandu, Jan 10 (IANS): The Kathmandu District Court reportedly sentenced the former national cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane to eight years in jail for rape.

The court found Lamichhane guilty of raping a woman identified as Gushala-26 in a hotel in Tilganga on August 21, 2022. The verdict carried not just a hefty jail term but also imposed a Rs 300,000 fine and mandated Rs 200,000 in compensation to the victim, said local media reports.

The legal saga began on September 6, 2022, when the victim filed the rape case against the cricketer. Despite the conviction, the court dismissed her assertion of being a minor at the time of the incident, refusing to acknowledge the birth dates presented in her academic documents.

Lamichhane's life took a drastic turn when he was arrested at Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6, 2022, upon his return from the West Indies, where he was participating in the Caribbean Premier League.

Subsequent legal battles saw him detained in the Sundhara-based central jail, only to be released on bail on January 13 after a payment of Rs 2 million.

The court, however, restricted his travel and demanded that he inform the police when leaving Kathmandu.

Dissatisfied with these limitations, Lamichhane sought relief from the Supreme Court, challenging the travel restrictions imposed by the high court.

In a surprising twist, on February 27, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the cricketer, permitting him to travel abroad for games.