The bill was approved after several rounds of discussion among various stakeholders.
According to Law and Justice Minister Prem Bahadur Singh, those involved in the perpetration of involuntary disappearance will be sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs 500,000.
An accomplice in disappearing people will face half the total punishment applicable to the main offenders.
According to the bill, those found guilty in disappearing women and children will be sentenced to nine years in prison.
The bill, initially drafted by the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, proposes forming a high-level independent commission to investigate disappearance cases from the conflict period.
The commission has a two-year mandate. If it is not able to accomplish its task within the stipulated time, the mandate will be extended for up to six months.
The commission is to investigate the cases and submit its report to the government. The government, after receiving the commission´s report, will prosecute cases against offenders through the office of the Attorney General.
According to the bill, those who confess before the commission and the courts to involvement in disappearing people will be acquitted. The commission can also reconsider the punishment terms.
But those who confess before the commission but put up a false defense before the courts will be sentenced to prison and fined as per the provisions of the bill.
The bill proposes forming a commission of a maximum of five members.
The commission will have three responsibilities, according to the bill. First, the commission will probe disappearances that occurred between February 13, 1996, when the Maoist insurgency began, and November 21, 2006, when the Maoists signed a peace agreement with the then government.
It will be the duty of the commission to inform the kin of disappeared persons of the relevant facts. The second responsibility, according the bill, is to identify those involved in disappearing persons during the conflict period. Thirdly, the bill authorizes the commission to recommend reparations for the victims.
The commission will have authority to suspend those accused in disappearing people and are holding any public posts if such a step is deemed necessary to prevent possible destruction of evidence by the accused.
Related story
Govt decision to withdraw Bill to Amend Political Parties Act f...
