Nepal seeks to repeal release of rape-accused cricketer

Nepal's attorney general has appealed a decision to grant bail to former national cricket captain Sandeep Lamichhane, who was in custody on rape charges, authorities said on Wednesday.

Lamichhane, 22, the Himalayan country's biggest cricket star, is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in a hotel room in Kathmandu last August. In custody since October, a court allowed his release last month on bail of two million rupees ($15,400).

Sanjiv Raj Regmi, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, told AFP the appeal was filed on Tuesday because the decision to release him on bail was "flawed". “We have asked the Supreme Court to set aside the High Court's decision to release him on bail. A person accused of any crime that could lead to a prison sentence of more than three years must remain in custody,” Regmi said.

The star bowler has been the poster boy for cricket's rise in mountainous Nepal, which gained one-day international status in 2018. His big break came when he was drafted by Delhi Capitals in the money-spinning Indian Premier League in 2018 and since then he has been the most sought-after cricketer in Nepal. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for him in September while he was away playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

He returned and was arrested the following month and maintains his innocence while fighting remand. Lamichhane was suspended as Nepal's cricket captain after the warrant was issued.