The government’s initiative to impose a statute of limitations on corruption cases has faced widespread condemnation. The proposal in the bill to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059, to introduce a provision requiring prosecution within five years from the date of discovery of the corruption act, has faced widespread opposition.

As constitutional bodies have also expressed concern, the parliamentary committee is under increasing pressure to remove this provision. The National Human Rights Commission recently sent a letter to the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives, urging it not to impose a statute of limitations on corruption cases.

The commission has raised serious concerns about the amendment proposal, arguing that corruption is a grave crime regardless of when it was committed. They believe that imposing a time limit on such cases would increase the likelihood of offenders escaping justice, thereby undermining good governance and human rights.

"We request the committee not to proceed with any amendments that could allow corrupt individuals to avoid prosecution due to time limitations," the commission stated in its letter.

Dr. Tikaram Pokharel, the commission's spokesperson, emphasized in the letter that including such a provision in the bill would grant immunity to those who commit corruption, ultimately hindering the protection of human rights.

This issue was also raised in Parliament on Wednesday. Arjun Narsingh KC, a ruling Nepali Congress MP, demanded that the government withdraw the proposed five-year statute of limitations on corruption cases. During the House of Representatives session, KC criticized the bill, stating, "It is unfortunate that this bill limits corruption cases to five years. What purpose does this serve? Is it for democracy, good governance, social justice, or development? Who does this benefit?"

He argued that the bill seems designed to protect corrupt individuals rather than promote good governance and called for its immediate withdrawal. KC also urged Speaker Devraj Ghimire to allow Parliament to vote on whether to proceed with a bill that appears to protect the corrupt. Additionally, he called for the formation of a judicial commission led by the chief justice to investigate the corruption scandals raised in the House.

Members of the main opposition party, CPN (Maoist Centre), also warned against imposing any limitations on corruption cases. Hitraj Pandey, the Maoist Centre's chief whip, asserted during the House of Representatives meeting that the fight against corruption should be action-based, not just rhetoric. He highlighted that Section 16 of the proposed bill, which seeks to amend Section 45 of the original Act by imposing a five-year prosecution limit, is unacceptable to the Maoists, who are determined that no such limit should exist for corruption crimes.

The fourth-largest party in Parliament, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), also demanded the removal of this provision during Wednesday's session. RSP MP Chanda Karki stated that the party does not agree with the proposed five-year time limit for investigating corruption. "Our stance is clear: there should be no time limit in the investigation of corruption," she declared.