Comedian Sagar Lamsal arrested

KATHMANDU: Police in Kathmandu have arrested popular Nepali comedian Sagar Lamsal, widely known as “Bale”, following a serious allegation of rape.

According to Ramesh Thapa, chief of the Kathmandu District Police Range, Lamsal was detained from Budhanilkantha’s Kapan area on the basis of a formal complaint involving a grave offence.

The allegation was filed by a member of the artistic community, who is currently based in the United States. She publicly accused Lamsal via a Facebook post on Friday, claiming the incident took place in the US.

Police say an investigation is underway.

Lamsal has not yet publicly responded to the accusation.