Sandeep Lamichhane is becoming the first Nepalese cricketer who will be spending at least three nights in police custody. The 22-year-old leg break googly bowler, who has been facing rape allegations by a 17-year-old minor girl was arrested immediately after he landed from the Qatar Airways flight at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Thursday at around 10 in the morning.

Sandeep surrendered himself and was handcuffed from the airport to the police station, though he had requested not to be handcuffed.

"He has been sent to the Gaushala Jail, which is near to Nepal's most sacred Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath,” one of the cricket sources in Nepal revealed. "He will remain in police custody until he is produced before the court on Sunday. We have Dussehra holidays till Friday and the court is closed on Saturday. We will come to know only on Sunday whether the court extends the police custody or grants bail. He is under trial now,” the source further added.

Shortly before his arrest Sandeep Lamichhane had promised on social media that he would fully cooperate in the investigation.

He has hired the services of a prominent lawyer Saroj Ghimire, who is known to be a Lawyer for justice and committed to breaking all forms of conspiracy and plots and maintaining a high profession.

Speaking exclusively, he said, "Our court will hear the case on Sunday. The case has not reached a bail stage. The person is innocent till proven guilty.” There was no anticipatory bail applied, confirmed the lawyer. "No anticipatory bail was applied and in this country, the anticipatory bail on these types of allegations is not granted.”

"Our primary concern was why Sandeep was hand-cuffed. He is not an individual but a player of an institution (Cricket Association of Nepal). He had himself surrendered and there were a number of police officials escorting him,” the lawyer, who met Sandeep for about 10 minutes before being detained, added.

Sandeep can be detained in this police custody maximum for a period of ten days and then the police have to apply for additional detention every time till the investigation is not over. 

At this stage, no compromise formula is thought of. The girl who has alleged to have been raped by the player was being counseled at the NGO, it is also learned. She was believed to be the player's friend for some time.