Kathmandu, Dec 30

The Criminal Procedure (Code) Bill has made it mandatory for police administration to use a female cop to frisk any woman in the course of criminal investigation.

The bill, which was recently passed by the Parliament, will come into effect from August 17, 2018. Section 18 of the bill says, “In case it requires police to raid or search a woman-only house or room, the investigating officials shall also take along a woman cop as far as possible. If woman cop is not immediately available to frisk the woman suspect, any women other than cops may also be used.”

The investigation officials shall prepare a deed of public inquiry regarding any object or item found by the police in connection with the offence during the raid or search and a copy of such deed shall be provided to the concerned person. Information about such raid or search shall be provided to the concerned police office. The law prohibits the investigating officials from taking along any

object or item from the suspect’s house or room without his/her consent in writing. One of the key highlights of this law about search or raid is

that the police shall search a house or room of a suspect during the hours from the sunrise until

sunset.

“However, if there is a reasonable ground that the suspect could escape or destroy the evidences related to the alleged offence in case of failure

to carry out the operation immediately, the authorities shall be obliged to wait for the hours between sunrise and sunset,” it reads.

The law requires the concerned house owner to allow the investigating officials inside his/her house where the suspect is living or hiding. The investigating officials may, as necessary, break the window, door, padlock, roof or wall to enter the house or room if they are not allowed to enter. Such act shall be done in a manner to cause less damage as far as possible.