IGP Kunwar dissatisfied with new Guidelines on punishment remission

KATHMANDU May 22: IGP Basanta Bahadur Kunwar has stated his dissatisfaction with the ‘Guideline 2080 BS on the demand for remission of sentence' published by the Office of the Attorney General.

IGP Kunwar made his displeasure clear at an event held in Kathmandu on Sunday by the attorney general’s office. Kunwar stated that allowing the guilty to make too many demands can be dangerous and set back progress for the investigators and the victim. 

He mentioned that the provisions 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the released guidelines will make the victims’ suffering worse. He said that giving these chances to criminals that have already been sentenced according to the law can create many challenges. 

He said that the investigating officer might land in a controversy if a decision is made to remit the punishment of the guilty and if the victim or others dissatisfied with the decision file a complaint against the remission decision with another elevant body.

Mentioning that in the cases of crimes where the victim is an under-14 child or a woman, there is provision for a plea bargaining, IGP Kunwar said that it could be believed that the guidelines can be amended based on the passage of time or the experiences gained during investigation and prosecution or on the basis of any either need as none of the provisions of the guidelines are unchangeable.