Nepali cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane's eight-year prison sentence for rape was quashed by an appeals court on Wednesday after the former national team captain challenged the conviction.
Lamichhane was once Nepal's cricket star, and his on-field success as a leg-spinner dramatically raised the profile of cricket in the Himalayan republic.
He was accused of raping a young woman in a hotel in Kathmandu in 2022, but as the lengthy trial dragged on, he was released on bail and rejoined the team to play in international tournaments.
The 23-year-old was convicted of rape late last year and sentenced in January, but remained free after appealing the sentence.
“Sandeep Lamichhane has been acquitted,” Patan High Court spokesperson Bimal Parajuli told AFP.
After the initial verdict, Lamichhane was suspended by the Nepal Cricket Board.
He has consistently denied the charges and enjoys strong support from the public despite the accusations.
Ramikan posted on Facebook this month, “I am innocent. I am indebted to those who believe in my innocence and sympathize with me.''
Lamicyan appeared in court to hear the verdict, and dozens of fans cheered and celebrated outside when the verdict was announced.
Fan Asmita Chhetri, 21, said: “We all know he is innocent, so we came here to unite for justice for him.”
When an arrest warrant was first issued in the case in 2022, Lamicyan was initially unable to return home from Jamaica, where he was playing in the Caribbean Premier League.
He was removed as national team captain and arrested, but Nepal lifted his ban after he was released on bail.
This allowed him to remain in the national team, including the World Cup qualifiers and the 2023 Asian Cup.
However, the continuation of his playing career caused anger and also caused some Nepalis to disown the team.
Scottish cricketers refused to shake his hand after a match during an international tournament in Dubai.
With Wednesday's acquittal, the Nepal team is in the United States to prepare for next month's T20 World Cup.
In mountainous Nepal, cricket is not as celebrated as in other parts of South Asia.
However, the sport's popularity is growing, and in 2018 Nepal was granted one-day international status by the world governing body.
Lamichhane has contributed significantly to this rise as the most popular Nepali cricketer in lucrative leagues around the world.
The leg-spinner's big break came in 2018 when he played in the Indian Premier League, the world's richest cricket tournament.
According to police, around 2,300 rape cases were reported in Nepal in the 2021-22 financial year, but human rights activists claim that many more assaults go unreported.
Only a handful of women have spoken out during the #MeToo movement in Nepal, and those who have been accused face little or no repercussions over the allegations.