This is one of the significant milestones in Nepal’s legal and political affairs; a court has granted bail to Durga Prasai in a cybercrime case. Now, let’s put the profile into context – Prasai is indeed well known throughout Nepali political circles as a person who has faced several legal issues. Nevertheless, as a result of the bail order, Prasai will still be detained in police custody as investigations into the charges of organized crime against him continue. The decision has led to debate about the nuances of Nepali law, especially the investigation of high-profile crimes.
The case of cybercrime against Prasai has attracted public attention as well as media attention due to the high chances of error and the profile of Prasai. In this particular case, the court was inclined to grant bail and said that the evidence given did not justify their detention on such charges any longer. However, since Prasai was again arrested in other cases for some other investigation, this shows that he has many cases against him, all going to show that the law is catching up with him.
By focusing on this case, the general problem and the legal regime of cybercrime in Nepal are highlighted. As the use of digital technologies is gradually advanced in Nepali society, the justice delivery system has not yet found how to deal with the crimes that are executed on computers. The outcome of the Prasai case may well determine how similar cases are tried and tested in the future.
Prasai is still detained, waiting for trial on organized crime charges, even though he was granted bail in the cybercrime case to show how seriously the allegations against him are taken. This also breeds a lot of concerns about how multi-agency and multi disciplinary cases involving various branches of law enforcement and the judiciary are handled. As the case remains in court, many in Nepal are closely observing and anticipating its outcome and possible ramifications in Nepal’s legal and political systems.
