The Nepal Police have sought help from Interpol in order to nab cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane against whom an arrest warrant has been issued after a 17-year-old girl accused him of rape earlier this month.
22-year-old Lamichhane was playing in Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2022) and later released a statement that the case has made him unwell, affecting him mentally and physically, and added that he is planning to return to Nepal when his health improves.
"I was not able to think about what to do and what not to do. All these things affected me mentally on one hand and on the other hand, I had to go through illness, and due to mental stress and ill health, I kept myself in isolation. I have been mentally and physically affected by the portrayal and I have reached a state of imbalance and I have been bringing myself back to a normal state under the advice of doctors. My health is gradually improving, and I am planning to return to Nepal as soon as possible to defend against the false complaint against me,” he said in a statement in the Nepali language on his Facebook.
Now Interpol has issued a "diffusion" notice against him on Sunday asking member countries for their co-operation locating him, Nepali police spokesperson Tek Prasad Rai told AFP.
"We hope this will help the arrest of Lamichhane for the investigation of a rape complaint case against him," he said.
After the arrest warrant was issued he was suspended as captain of the national team and he pulled out of the Caribbean Premier League, where he was playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs.
(AFP inputs)
