Arms and Ammunition Act, 2019 (1962)

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

The Act (2019 BS, i.e. 1963 AD) controls weapons — from cannons, mortars and armoured vehicles to machine guns, rifles, pistols and revolvers, including their parts — and ammunition. A licence is required to make or repair, export or import, or keep or carry arms or ammunition, and transferring a privately held weapon to someone else needs approval from the District Administration Office naming the buyer (breach: up to two years' prison and a Rs 20,000 fine). Bringing cannons or machine guns into or out of Nepal or between districts is prohibited outright. The Act does not apply to arms handled on government orders or by officials in the course of duty.यस ऐन (वि.सं. २०१९) ले तोप, मोर्टार, बख्तरबन्द गाडीदेखि मेसिनगन, राइफल, पेस्तोल, रिभल्भरसम्मका हातहतियार, तिनका पार्टपुर्जा र खरखजानाको नियन्त्रण गर्छ। हातहतियार वा खरखजाना बनाउन वा मर्मत गर्न, निकासी–पैठारी गर्न, वा राख्न र लिएर हिँड्न इजाजतपत्र चाहिन्छ, र निजी उपयोगको हतियार अरूलाई हस्तान्तरण गर्दा खरिदकर्ताको विवरण खुलाई जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालयको स्वीकृति लिनुपर्छ (उल्लंघनमा दुई वर्षसम्म कैद र बीस हजार रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना)। तोप वा मेसिनगन विदेशबाट ल्याउन, विदेश लैजान वा एक जिल्लाबाट अर्को जिल्लामा ल्याउन लैजान पूर्ण रूपमा निषेध छ। सरकारको आदेश वा सरकारी कर्मचारीले कर्तव्य पालनाका क्रममा गर्ने काममा यो ऐन लागू हुँदैन। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 1–4, pp. 2–4
Carrying arms without a licence or outside its conditions is prohibited; a person may be arrested on a warrant authorised by the adjudicating officer, or immediately in urgent cases, and must be produced within 24 hours. During elections — from the date of candidate nomination until results are announced — no one other than security personnel may carry any weapon, even with a licence. Police officers of assistant-inspector rank or above may search and arrest without a warrant anyone suspected of moving arms illegally, and the government may set up checkpoints along the border and ban arms in specified places.इजाजतपत्र बिना वा त्यसका सर्त विपरीत हतियार लिएर हिँड्न निषेध छ; मुद्दा हेर्ने अधिकारीको अनुमतिमा जारी पक्राउ पुर्जीबाट, वा अत्यावश्यक भए तत्काल पक्राउ गरी २४ घण्टाभित्र पेश गर्नुपर्छ। निर्वाचनमा उम्मेदवारी दर्ता गर्ने मितिदेखि परिणाम घोषणा नहुँदासम्म सुरक्षाकर्मीबाहेक अरू कसैले इजाजत भए पनि कुनै हतियार लिएर हिँड्न पाउँदैन। गैरकानूनी रूपमा हतियार ओसारपसार गरेको शंका लागेमा सहायक निरीक्षक वा माथिका प्रहरी अधिकृतले बिना पुर्जी खानतलासी र पक्राउ गर्न सक्छन्, र सरकारले सीमामा जाँच चौकी राख्न र तोकिएका ठाउँमा हतियार राख्न निषेध गर्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 5–8, pp. 4–6
When a licence expires, is cancelled or becomes unlawful, the weapon must be deposited at the local police station; the owner may reclaim or sell it within the prescribed time, after which it becomes government property. Licences are issued and renewed by the Chief District Officer, who — like the federal government by Gazette notice — may cancel or suspend licences for public peace, and may search and seize weapons; the government may also seize weapons for public security, order registration of arms, and confiscate weapons used in offences or military-bore weapons not reported in time.इजाजतपत्रको अवधि सकिएमा, रद्द भएमा वा हतियार राख्नु गैरकानूनी भएमा नजिकको प्रहरी कार्यालयमा बुझाउनुपर्छ; धनीले तोकिएको अवधिभित्र फिर्ता लिन वा बिक्री गर्न सक्छ, नत्र त्यो सरकारको सम्पत्ति हुन्छ। इजाजतपत्र प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीले दिन्छन् र नवीकरण गर्छन्; सार्वजनिक शान्तिका लागि उनले — र राजपत्रमा सूचना प्रकाशन गरी सङ्घीय सरकारले — इजाजत रद्द वा स्थगित गर्न, खानतलासी लिन र कब्जा गर्न सक्छन्; सरकारले सार्वजनिक सुरक्षाका लागि हतियार रोक्का गर्न, लगत लिन, र कसुरमा प्रयोग भएको वा समयमा प्रतिवेदन नदिइएको सैनिक बोरको हतियार जफत गर्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 9–17, pp. 6–9
Anyone aware of an offence must inform the Chief District Officer or police, and informants receive half of the fine collected. The Act's former penalty sections (19–23) have been repealed; offence cases are heard by the District Court or the Chief District Officer as specified in Section 24, and accused persons may be held in custody during proceedings.कसुर भएको थाहा पाउने जोकोहीले प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारी वा प्रहरीलाई सूचना दिनुपर्छ, र सूचना दिनेलाई असुल भएको जरिवानाको आधा पुरस्कार दिइन्छ। ऐनका साबिकका सजायसम्बन्धी दफा १९–२३ खारेज भइसकेका छन्; कसुरसम्बन्धी मुद्दा दफा २४ बमोजिम जिल्ला अदालत वा प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीले हेर्छन्, र मुद्दाको कारबाहीका क्रममा अभियुक्तलाई थुनामा राख्न सकिन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 18–25, pp. 9–10

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