KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has refused to allow Sandeep Lamichhane to go and play abroad.

Citing that another case against Lamichhane is under consideration of a division bench, the single bench of Justice Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada ordered to keep both the cases attached and fix in the division bench for hearing on Sunday.

Cricketer Lamichhane, who is in trial at the Kathmandu District Court for the crime of rape of a minor, reached the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking revocation of Patan High Court’s decision to restrict him from going abroad for the play.

“It is not appropriate to issue any order relating to High Court’s verdict from this single bench as per the request of the defendant Sandeep Lamichhane, while the hearing process is pending in the division bench of this court,” Khatiwada’s order stated.

On January 12, the Patan High Court ordered Sandeep to be released on a bond of 20 lakh rupees. A bench of Patan High Court Judges Dhruvraj Nand and Ramesh Dhakal had ordered his release on bail with conditions including ban on going abroad till the final decision of the case. Soon after that, Lamichhane was released on 29th of January after posting a bond of 20 lakh rupees.

In today’s hearing, senior advocate Shambhu Thapa and advocates Murari Prasad Sapkota and Sarojkrishna Ghimire argued on behalf of Sandeep.