Nepal Police handles first contact and investigations through District, Area and Ward Police offices, provincial police and specialist units. The Criminal Investigation Department deals with investigations, while the Cyber Bureau handles online offences. The Women, Children and Senior Citizen Service Directorate, Women Help Desks, Dalit Desks and the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau provide functions for specific risks. Responsibility normally follows the place where the suspected offence occurred, and the available service may differ between localities. Nepal Police recorded 20,624 cases in selected gender-based violence categories in fiscal year 2080/81. The figure included 16,416 domestic-violence cases and complaints, 2,507 rape cases, 460 attempted-rape cases, 363 child sexual abuse cases, 166 human-trafficking cases, 653 polygamy cases, 52 child-marriage cases, 23 witchcraft-allegation cases, 29 caste-based discrimination and untouchability cases, and 24 illegal-abortion cases. These are recorded cases in selected categories, not a measure of total crime or prevalence. In 91.9 percent of the recorded sexual-violence cases, the accused was known to the victim, and 64.6 percent of victims were girls. A suspected offence can be reported in writing, orally or electronically through a Jaheri-Darkhast, meaning an initial complaint about the suspected offence. A nearby Police office should accept the report and forward it to the District Police office responsible for the place of the offence. An unknown suspect is not a valid reason to refuse the report. The reporting person should receive confirmation of receipt. If a Police office refuses the report, the person can approach the District Government Attorney Office or a higher Police office. Emergency reports should be made immediately, while other reports remain subject to applicable legal time limits. For an emergency, contact Police Control at 100. Nepal Police also lists the toll-free number 16600141516. Cybercrime complaints cover explicit online content, online financial fraud, fake or hacked identities, other cyber offences, source-code theft and unauthorised access. Submit the relevant form with citizenship, national identity card or passport details; a child's birth registration may be used for a child. Include the relevant URLs and clear screenshots. Filing is possible through a District, Area or Ward Police office, a Police Complex or Circle, or the Cyber Bureau in Bhotahity. If personal attendance is not possible, contact cyberbureau@nepalpolice.gov.np or 01-5319044. Common online risks include social-media abuse, account takeover, online financial fraud, gift, lottery and parcel scams, romance scams, foreign-job and online-job scams, online-shopping scams, source-code theft and unauthorised access. Do not open unknown links or trust unexpected price or gift promises. Do not share one-time passwords, passwords, private photographs or sensitive data. Verify a request for money through a separate contact channel, use multi-factor authentication, avoid banking over free public Wi-Fi, install updates and keep backups. Families and children benefit from practical guidance about these risks. For suspected human trafficking or transport, the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau can be contacted through hotline 1177, toll-free number 16600141177 or WhatsApp, Viber or Imo at +977-9851292200. Check the destination country's language, laws and employment conditions, and use only government-licensed manpower agencies. The National Women Commission provides support through 1145 and casemanagement@nwc.gov.np for violence against women. One-stop crisis management centres at district hospitals can provide health, psychosocial, legal, safe-home, rehabilitation, medico-legal and security services; local availability should be checked. The Women, Children and Senior Citizen Service Directorate has 261 service centres, 408 Women Help Desks and 187 Dalit Desks. Child Helpline 1098 provides rescue, relief, psychosocial and legal counselling, short-term accommodation or protection, family reunification and reintegration. The National Centre for Children at Risk can be reached at 104 for missing, found or endangered children. Nepal's child-protection framework uses the child's best interests, child-friendly procedures, identity protection and police protection. The Crime Victim Protection Act 2075 provides information about investigation and prosecution and provides for social rehabilitation and compensation under its legal conditions. The exact eligibility for compensation depends on the case. Crime prevention and reporting are distinct from criminal-law advice; offence definitions and penalties belong to the criminal-law framework.
Crime in Nepal
Crime in Nepal includes actual or threatened offences, prevention, reporting, police contact and support for victims. Nepal Police is the nationwide first contact for emergencies, complaints and investigations, although service coverage differs by province, district and municipality. Safer choices include verifying requests for money, protecting accounts and reporting suspected offences promptly.
Tip
Choose the response according to the immediate risk: call Police Control for danger, report a suspected offence promptly, and use the specialist channel when the case involves online abuse, trafficking, violence against women or a child. Keep the complaint and supporting material organized, obtain confirmation that a report was received, and escalate a refusal instead of abandoning the report. Treat recorded figures as evidence of reported cases, not as a complete measure of safety.