Youths organised by Swatantra Yuva Samaj have staged protests against the proposed statute of limitation to register cases against corruption.

The agitating youths marched from Maitighar to Baneshwar on Saturday chanting slogans against the government and the proposed amendment on corruption cases.

They displayed placards reading with slogans such as ‘No time-limit to sue corrupts’, ‘Sue the corrupt accused immediately’, and ‘Ensure compensation and justice to cooperative victims.’

When the demonstrators tried to breach the barricade set up by the police in the restricted area, there was a scuffle between the protesters and the police.

A bill is under discussion at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives and lawmakers are divided over whether or not to have statute of limitations in corruption cases.

The KP Sharma Oli government in 2019 had registered the bill to amend the Corruption Prevention Act 2002 in the National Assembly. After long deliberations, the Assembly had sent the bill to the House after endorsing it in April last year. However, the lower house is still debating it. The statute of limitation is a bone of contention.

A provision in the bill says, “The corruption case must be prosecuted within five years from the date of knowing that such an act has been committed." But there is no time limit in lodging the case where the state suffers direct losses.

Even if someone is retired from any profession, s/he can be prosecuted within five years of retirement, says another provision in the amendment bill.