Religious Offences in Nepal 2026 — Penal Code Sec 155-158

Religious crime in Nepal is governed mainly by Chapter 9 of the Muluki Aparadh Sanhita (Penal Code) 2074 (2017), Sections 155–158, read with Constitution Article 26. The framework protects religious freedom but criminalises specified conduct, including damage to worship places, obstruction of rites, deliberate religious insult, and conversion-related acts. For related criminal-law guidance, see our criminal law practice in Nepal.

Key Takeaways

Nepal protects the right to profess, practise and protect religion, but that freedom operates alongside criminal restrictions. Article 26(3) prohibits converting another person or conduct that may jeopardise another religion, while Penal Code Sections 155–158 address particular religious offences and their possible punishment.

• Section 155 concerns damage, defilement or pollution of a place of worship, sacred object or burial place.
• Section 156 concerns words, signs or visible representations made with deliberate intent to outrage religious feelings.
• Section 157 concerns knowingly obstructing religious rites or rituals followed from time immemorial.
• Section 158 concerns conversion, attempted conversion, abetment of conversion and conduct that may jeopardise another religion.
• Article 26(1) and Article 26(2) protect religious practice and the affairs of religious denominations, subject to the Constitution and law.
• Monetary penalties, imprisonment and immigration consequences can depend on the charged provision and the person’s status. Verify the current application with a lawyer or the relevant authority.
• Religious expression, charitable work and a criminal allegation are not automatically the same legal issue. The facts, intention and precise charge matter.

What does Constitution Article 26 say about religion in Nepal?

Constitution Article 26 protects religious freedom while placing a specific constitutional limit on conversion-related conduct. Article 26(1) recognises the right to profess, practise and protect religion according to conviction. Article 26(2) addresses religious denominations and their affairs. Article 26(3) prohibits converting another person or conduct that may jeopardise another religion.

These clauses should be read together. Article 26 does not describe religious freedom as an unlimited right to do anything in the name of religion. It also does not mean that every disagreement, criticism, sermon or religious gathering is automatically a crime.

The constitutional language uses different ideas for different purposes. Article 26(1) concerns individual religious conviction. Article 26(2) concerns religious denominations. Article 26(3) provides the constitutional basis for a statutory restriction on conversion and conduct that may jeopardise another religion.

Nepal is constitutionally described as a secular state. The current article text also explains secularism by reference to the protection of religion and culture practised since ancient times. In a dispute, the court may need to consider the exact conduct, its context and the provision relied upon by the prosecution.

What is Section 158 and what does conversion law in Nepal prohibit?

Section 158 of the Penal Code 2074 addresses converting another person from one religion to another, attempting conversion, abetting conversion, and conduct that may jeopardise another religion. The provision is the main focus of conversion law in Nepal and is constitutionally connected to Article 26(3), but its application depends on the facts and charge.

The provision is wider than a simple statement that “conversion is illegal.” The current article identifies several forms of conduct: completed conversion, an attempt, abetment, and an act or conduct that may jeopardise another religion. Those are legally different allegations and should not be collapsed into one label.

The statute may be relevant to allegations involving proselytisation or encouragement to convert. However, you should not assume that the label used by a complainant proves the offence. The prosecution still has to rely on the applicable law and facts. A lawyer can examine statements, recordings, written material, witnesses and the precise wording of the complaint.

The current article also states that a foreign offender convicted under Section 158 is deported from Nepal within 7 days after completing the sentence. That is a serious immigration consequence. A foreign national facing an allegation should obtain criminal and immigration advice promptly rather than treating the matter as an ordinary community dispute.

Religious expression and conversion allegations must be separated carefully. A religious meeting, social service or charitable activity is not enough, by itself, to identify the correct criminal charge. The relevant facts and statutory language control.

What is Section 155 of the Penal Code?

Section 155 concerns damaging, defiling or polluting a place of worship, sacred object or burial place. It protects physical religious sites and objects, including places associated with different faiths. The section should be distinguished from speech-based allegations under Section 156 and conversion-related allegations under Section 158.

The wording covers more than ordinary property damage. The current article identifies damage, defilement and pollution, as well as worship places, sacred objects and burial places. That means the legal question may involve the character of the place or object and the nature of the conduct, not only the cost of physical repair.

A complaint about a temple, gompa, mosque, church, shrine, sacred object or burial place should therefore be assessed using the exact facts. The name of the religion does not decide whether Section 155 applies. The material supplied for this guide describes the provision as applying regardless of the religion connected with the worship place.

Other laws may become relevant where the same conduct concerns a protected heritage site. The earlier article referred to the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 2013 (1956) as a possible parallel legal framework. Whether another charge is available depends on the site, the evidence and the decision of the relevant authority.

What is Section 156, and is it blasphemy law in Nepal?

Section 156 concerns words spoken or written, signs or visible representations made with deliberate intent to outrage the religious feelings of a caste, race, community or class. It is often described in public debate as a blasphemy-style provision, but the legal assessment turns on the statutory wording and alleged intention.

The phrase “deliberate intent” matters. A difficult question, academic discussion, comparative study or criticism is not automatically identical to conduct deliberately intended to outrage religious feelings. The context, audience, words or images used and surrounding circumstances may all matter.

Do not treat the popular label “blasphemy Nepal” as a substitute for reading the charge. Blasphemy is a search term used by readers and commentators. Section 156 is the relevant Penal Code provision identified in the supplied material, and it should be analysed using its own elements.

International organisations and commentators have criticised the breadth of religious-insult laws and have compared Section 156 with blasphemy provisions in other countries. That criticism is separate from the task of deciding whether a particular allegation satisfies Nepal’s law. A court may consider the evidence and legal submissions before reaching a decision.

What is Section 157 and who does it protect?

Section 157 concerns knowingly obstructing religious rites or rituals followed from time immemorial. It protects the performance of established religious rites and applies as a separate offence from damaging a worship place, outraging religious feelings or conversion-related conduct.

The word “knowingly” is significant. The allegation is not simply that a rite was disrupted. The issue may include whether the person knew the relevant conduct would obstruct the rite. The expression “followed from time immemorial” also forms part of the statutory description identified in the current article.

Examples in the existing article include preventing access to a temple during a festival, blocking a funeral procession, disrupting a wedding ceremony or interfering with daily prayers. These are illustrations, not an automatic list of offences. The facts must still be matched to the statutory wording.

Section 157 may arise in disputes involving religious events and inter-community tension. However, a disagreement at a festival is not automatically a Section 157 offence. The complaint, evidence of obstruction, knowledge and connection with a protected rite should be reviewed before conclusions are drawn.

How do Sections 155–158 differ?

Sections 155–158 address different forms of alleged religious harm: physical interference with worship places, deliberate outrage of religious feelings, obstruction of established rites, and conversion-related conduct. The provisions should not be treated as interchangeable because each uses different conduct, conditions and legal language.

The table does not decide liability. It helps you identify the legal issue before obtaining advice. A single event may produce more than one allegation, but the prosecution must rely on the applicable statutory basis. Monetary penalties and imprisonment are provision-specific; confirm the current punishment from the official text and case circumstances.

What should you do after a religious-crime complaint in Nepal?

After a religious-crime complaint, preserve the original facts, avoid deleting communications, identify the exact provision and obtain legal advice. The available material does not establish one universal filing route, processing period or document checklist for every allegation, so the receiving authority and case facts must be verified.

1. Identify the allegation. Ask whether the complaint refers to Section 155, 156, 157, 158, another criminal provision or more than one provision.
2. Preserve evidence. Keep original messages, recordings, photographs, videos, notices, witness details and relevant publication or event information. Do not edit material before legal review.
3. Record the context. Write down what happened, when it happened, who was present and whether the conduct involved a worship place, rite, speech, image or alleged conversion activity.
4. Check intention and knowledge. Section 156 refers to deliberate intent, Section 157 refers to knowingly obstructing, and Section 158 may involve an attempt or abetment. These conditions should not be assumed or ignored.
5. Obtain the complaint or notice. Ask for the document that identifies the allegation and verify the issuing authority, response requirement and any stated date.
6. Take prompt legal advice. A criminal lawyer can assess the facts, evidence, possible provisions and response strategy. Our team can help you review a criminal allegation through criminal case litigation services.
7. Verify immigration consequences. If the accused is a foreign national, Section 158 may carry the deportation consequence described above. Criminal and immigration issues should be assessed together.

What evidence and documents may matter?

Evidence in a religious-crime case may include the complaint, notices, statements, digital communications, recordings, photographs, publications and witness information. The supplied sources do not establish a universal document list, so you should preserve relevant material and verify any required filing or response documents with the authority handling the matter.

Do not create a new version of a message, video or image and treat it as the original. Keep the source file where possible. Note how it was obtained and who had access to it. A lawyer can help assess whether the material supports or contradicts the allegation.

For Section 156, the exact words, signs or visible representation may be central. For Section 157, evidence about the rite and the alleged obstruction may matter. For Section 158, the allegation may focus on conversion, an attempt, abetment or conduct said to jeopardise another religion.

For Section 155, photographs and records concerning the worship place, sacred object or burial place may help establish what was affected. These are practical evidential points, not a guaranteed court requirement. Verify the position for your case before filing anything.

What punishment or immigration consequence can follow?

Sections 155–158 create different offence categories and possible punishments. The current material states imprisonment and monetary penalties for each section, but this guide does not reproduce monetary figures. The final consequence can depend on the provision charged, the evidence, the court’s decision and any applicable immigration rule.

The existing article identifies Section 155 as carrying imprisonment of up to three years, Section 156 up to two years, Section 157 up to one year or a monetary penalty or both, and Section 158 up to five years together with a monetary penalty. These are maximum or statutory descriptions, not predictions of the outcome in an individual case.

Section 158 has an additional consequence for foreign offenders convicted under it: deportation from Nepal within 7 days after completion of the sentence, as stated in the supplied material. A foreign national should therefore obtain advice on both the criminal case and possible immigration consequences.

The current article also identifies Section 38 as a religious-hatred aggravator for other offences and Section 160 as addressing discrimination on religious grounds. Whether either provision applies depends on the alleged conduct and the charge. Do not assume that every religiously connected dispute falls under Chapter 9 alone.

How do international criticism and domestic law interact?

International criticism does not replace Nepal’s domestic criminal law. The supplied material records criticism from USCIRF, the ICJ, the US State Department and CSW concerning the breadth or application of conversion and religious-feelings provisions. A Nepalese investigation or court case still turns on the Constitution, Penal Code and evidence before the relevant authority.

Critics have argued that Section 158 may reach conduct beyond coercive conversion. The ICJ briefing identified in the source material criticised the provision as overbroad. Reports identified in the current article also raised concerns about discriminatory enforcement and foreigner deportation.

Those criticisms may be relevant to public debate, legal submissions or constitutional arguments. They do not provide a defence automatically. A person facing a complaint needs a case-specific assessment of the allegation, evidence, statutory language and available remedies.

The same care applies to claims about enforcement patterns. The current article discusses prosecutions and public criticism involving Christian and Muslim communities, including a 2021 conviction of Pastor Keshav Raj Acharya and a February 2025 report about 17 US citizens being detained and questioned over proselytisation suspicions. These reported events should not be treated as proof of liability in another case.

What are the main alternatives and edge cases?

Religious disputes may involve more than one legal route. Depending on the facts, the issue may concern a worship place, a rite, speech, conversion, discrimination, heritage protection, public order or another criminal offence. The correct route cannot be selected from the religion involved alone.

One edge case is religious teaching to an existing congregation. Another is a public meeting attended by people from different religions. A third is charitable or social work accompanied by religious communication. These descriptions do not decide whether Section 158 applies. The facts, intention, conduct and evidence must be examined.

A second edge case concerns online material. A written post, video, symbol or image may raise a Section 156 question if the statutory condition of deliberate intent is alleged. It may also raise another legal issue. Do not delete material without first taking advice, because deletion can complicate the factual record.

A third edge case concerns a foreign national. The person may face a criminal allegation and a possible deportation consequence under Section 158. Travel, visa and immigration questions should be reviewed alongside the criminal defence, not after the criminal case has ended.

If the dispute involves damage to a heritage site, Section 155 may not be the only provision considered. If it involves discrimination, the current article identifies Section 160. If another offence was motivated by religious hatred, Section 38 may be relevant. Verify the exact charge with counsel.

What should a realistic Nepal scenario look like?

Consider an illustrative scenario: a person shares religious material at a public gathering, and another person alleges that the material encouraged conversion. The allegation might refer to Section 158, but the label alone does not establish conversion, attempt, abetment or conduct that may jeopardise another religion.

The lawyer would need to examine what was said, who heard it, whether any person changed religion, whether an attempt was alleged, whether someone assisted the conduct, and what evidence supports the complaint. The person’s nationality may also matter because the supplied material identifies a specific deportation consequence for a foreign offender convicted under Section 158.

Now change the facts. If a sacred object was damaged, Section 155 may become relevant. If words or an image were allegedly used with deliberate intent to outrage religious feelings, Section 156 may be considered. If a funeral, prayer or established ritual was knowingly blocked, Section 157 may be the focus.

This example is illustrative only. It creates no deadline, document requirement or guaranteed defence. Its purpose is to show why “religious crime,” “conversion law” and “blasphemy” are not interchangeable labels.

Where can you get help with a religious offence allegation?

Alpine Law Associates advises and represents clients in criminal matters, but it is not a police office, court or government registration authority. Our team can help you review the alleged provision, organise the factual record, assess available evidence and prepare a response strategy. No lawyer can promise a result, dismissal, acquittal, timeline or deportation outcome.

If you are in Nepal, keep any notice or complaint and seek advice before making a detailed public statement. If you are outside Nepal or are a foreign national, explain that position at the first consultation because criminal and immigration consequences may overlap.

For a related topic, read our guide to marriage crimes in Nepal. It may help distinguish religious allegations from other criminal offences involving personal relationships. You can also review the official Criminal Code 2074 text and the Constitution of Nepal, while verifying the current legal position with counsel.

In short, what is the legal position?

Religious crime in Nepal is not one single offence. Chapter 9 of the Penal Code 2074 separates damage to worship places, deliberate outrage of religious feelings, obstruction of established rites and conversion-related conduct. Constitution Article 26 protects religious freedom but expressly supports a legal restriction on conversion and conduct that may jeopardise another religion.

• Start with the exact provision, not a public label such as “blasphemy.”
• Check the conditions attached to the allegation, including deliberate intent, knowledge, attempt or abetment.
• Preserve evidence and verify any notice, deadline or document requirement with the authority.
• Foreign nationals should assess possible immigration consequences together with the criminal allegation.
• Obtain case-specific advice before assuming that religious teaching, criticism, charity or public gathering is either protected or criminal.

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This article is general information, not legal advice. If you are facing a religious offence complaint, conversion allegation, religious-insult allegation or related criminal issue, contact Alpine Law Associates so our team can assess your circumstances and explain how criminal case litigation support in Nepal may help.