Criminal procedure code amended to curb false case harassment: Asif Nazrul

The Report Desk

Published: June 29, 2025, 05:16 PM

Criminal procedure code amended to curb false case harassment: Asif Nazrul

The interim government has approved a major amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to curb harassment through arbitrary arrests and false or exaggerated criminal charges. Legal adviser Asif Nazrul announced the decision on Sunday following a meeting of the Advisory Council.

“We were ourselves embarrassed by the misuse of legal processes during previous governments—particularly false cases and cases where too many people are named just to extort money,” said Asif Nazrul during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy. “This amendment aims to free innocent citizens from the grip of such abuse.”

Under the new provision, the Police Commissioner or Superintendent of Police (or an officer of equivalent rank) may now direct an investigating officer to submit a primary investigation report before a magistrate regarding any case under their jurisdiction.

If the magistrate determines that there is no credible evidence against certain accused individuals at this early stage, their names can be removed from the case before the formal trial begins.

However, if new evidence surfaces later, those individuals can still be re-added to the charge sheet in the final police report.

“This mechanism will ensure that in cases of arrest or charge-sheet abuse, individuals without clear evidence against them can be spared the trauma of unnecessary prosecution,” said Nazrul. “At the same time, it doesn’t mean that investigations will be stopped—rather, the process will remain dynamic and responsive to new findings.”

The legal adviser expressed hope that this reform will significantly reduce the culture of case-trading and arrest abuse, while upholding the right to a fair and evidence-based legal process.

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