Govt unveils draft law proposing tougher penalties for enforced disappearances

The government has published the draft Disappearance Prevention and Remedies Act, 2026 for public consultation, proposing stringent penalties for enforced disappearances, including the death penalty or life imprisonment if a victim dies or remains missing for five years.

The proposed law defines enforced disappearance as the denial or concealment of a person’s arrest, detention or whereabouts by government officials or law enforcement personnel. It also introduces penalties for operating secret detention centres, destroying evidence and filing false disappearance cases.

The draft incorporates the principle of command responsibility, making senior officials accountable if they order, facilitate or fail to prevent enforced disappearances. It also proposes speedy trials, compensation for victims’ families and the creation of a central database to document disappearance cases.