Nepal's Court of Appeal has acquitted Sandeep Lamichhane, the country's most high-profile cricketer, who was convicted by a lower court of raping an 18-year-old woman.
His lawyer welcomed the decision.
Lamichhane, 23, is the face of Nepali cricket and is the only player from the Himalayan nation to have participated in prestigious Twenty20 leagues, including Australia's Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League.
The leg-spinner was suspended as Nepal's captain and was detained after police issued an arrest warrant for assault in 2022, and was later released on bail.
In January, the Kathmandu District Court sentenced him to eight years in prison and said he must also pay about $3,770 in fines and compensation to his victims.
“He needed to be acquitted and the High Court released him. He was innocent,” the player's lawyer, Savita Badari Baral, told Reuters after the court ruling. has not been announced yet.
After the verdict, a jubilant Mr. Lamicyan appeared on the court grounds. His supporters celebrated by pipe-playing traditional music and beating drums.
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Reuters
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