KATHMANDU: Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane is likely to miss the Global Qualifier of the One Day Cricket World Cup after the Kathmandu District Court directed to reverify the allegedly raped minor girl’s age.
The Nepali team, which is among the top three in the ICC World Cup League Two, has made a place for the Global Qualifier of the One Day Cricket World Cup to be held in Zimbabwe.
Sandeep, who performed well after being released from prison, is still unlikely to go to South Africa for practice with the Nepali team due to the District Court’s latest decision.
The Nepali team will go to South Africa on June 1 and will fly to Zimbabwe from there.
On the other hand, the case against Sandeep had been moved twice and could not proceed further even from the hearing scheduled for today.
The bench of Judge Fanindra Prasad Parajuli ordered the relevant rural municipality of Nuwakot to verify the date of birth of the girl (changed name Gaushakha 26) who filed a complaint against Lamichhane.
The Court ordered to bring a copy of the girl’s birth registration to verify the age.
Sandeep’s lawyers opined that when the matter of the birth date of Gaushakha 26 has already been submitted to the court earlier during Sandeep’s detention hearing, it was an attempt to delay the case.
Sandeep, who was sent to pre-trial detention by the Kathmandu District Court, was released after paying a bond of 20 lakhs after the order of the High Court. Sandeep, who was released after 99 days in detention, took 43 wickets from 15 matches.
In the current situation, if the issue of date of birth is presented to the court again and the trial proceeds, Sandeep will not be able to go to South Africa, and if the process is delayed even then, he will not be able to go to Zimbabwe.
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