The Supreme Court has refused to issue any order allowing cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane to travel abroad.

The rape-accused cricketer on Thursday had moved the apex court demanding an order to permit him to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a triangular series of the ICC World Cup League 2 to start on February 27. He had demanded scrapping of the Patan High Court’s decision to bar him from travelling abroad.

Responding to his petition, a single bench of Justice Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada refused to act as per Lamichhane’s demand. The court also decided to conduct final hearing in the petitions from Lamichhane and the Attorney General’s Office that has knocked the Supreme Court’s door against the High Court’s move to release the cricketer on bail.

“It is deemed necessary to conduct hearing of the petitions from Lamichhane and the Attorney General’s Office jointly from a division bench,” says the ruling from Khatiwada’s bench. Bimal Poudel, spokesperson for the Supreme Court, said the final hearing will start on Sunday.

Not satisfied with the high court’s decision, the Attorney General’s Office challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. The division bench will pass a verdict on whether Lamichhane can travel abroad and whether or not he needs to be kept in custody while investigation against him continues.

The Kathmandu District Court on November 4 had ordered to send Lamichhane to the Sundhara-based central jail after a detention hearing.

Lamichhane had moved the high court, challenging the order.

On January 12, a division bench of high court judges Dhruva Raj Nanda and Ramesh Dahal decided to release him on bail while the investigation continues. The court, however, has barred Lamichhane from travelling abroad and directed him to inform the police while leaving Kathmandu.

Following the high court’s verdict, Lamichhane was released from custody on January 13 after posting a bail of Rs2 million.

The District Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu has lodged a case against Lamichhane accusing him of raping a 17-year-old girl on August 21. He has been charged under Section 219 of the Criminal Code 2017.

The minor, on September 6 last year, had registered the first information report against the 22-year-old cricketer at the Metropolitan Police Circle Gaushala, Kathmandu.

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 from the Department of Immigration and police in plain clothes.

If proven guilty, he will be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years per existing legal provisions. Under the criminal procedure, in a case where one can face jail term for more than three years needs to be investigated by keeping them in custody. Lamichhane, however, remained busy playing international cricket after getting a bail. He was in the squad in all four one-day series held in Kathmandu.