The Kathmandu District Court on Monday extended the judicial custody of suspended national cricket captain Sandeep Lamichhane for seven more days for further investigation as sought by the Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police.

The court extended the remand of Lamichhane for seven days starting from October 6, the day the police had arrested him from Tribhuvan International Airport.

Police need to complete the investigation within 25 days from the day of arrest before filing a criminal case against him.

Lamichhane was produced before the court only on Monday as the courts were closed for Dashain holidays.

Advocate Saroj Ghimire informed that the court extended Lamichhane’s judicial custody for seven days beginning from the day of his arrest. He said Lamichhane has produced evidence of his innocence before the court during the hearing.

Following the court order, police will now record Lamichhane’s statement in the presence of the district attorney.

Lamichhane has been accused of raping a 17-year-old minor on August 21. An investigation is being conducted against him under Section 219 of the Criminal Code 2074. If the crime against him is proven, he will be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years as per the existing legal provisions.

The minor, through her guardian, had filed a case against the cricketer on September 6 at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala.

Earlier, the District Court had issued an arrest warrant against the 22-year-old cricketer on September 7 acting on the case filed by Gaushala Police Circle after the girl accused him of rape.

Following the arrest warrant, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) suspended the globe-trotting cricketer. Lamichhane was in Trinidad & Tobago to play the Twenty20 franchise Caribbean Premier League (CPL) from Jamaica Tallawahs when he was accused of rape.

Lamichhane wrote on Facebook the same day claiming that he was innocent and would return to Nepal to seek justice. However, after he mysteriously disappeared, Nepal Police issued a diffusion notice through the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol).

On October 1, Lamichhane announced that he would return to Nepal on October 6 to face legal charges. Soon after he landed at the airport, he was arrested by officials at the Department of Immigration and plainclothes personnel.