Kathmandu, June 11 -- A basic principle of criminal justice holds that arrest must follow assessment, not precede it. The safeguard is rooted in a long-standing belief that it is better for many guilty people to go free than for one innocent person to be wrongly detained. In Nepal, however, recent policing practices are raising concerns that this sequence is being reversed, with arrests in some cases coming before clear evidence or charges are established.

A growing pattern of taking individuals into custody first and searching for legal grounds afterwards is now drawing scrutiny from courts, legal experts and civil society. Critics say the trend risks undermining due process and blurring the line between investigation and arbitrary dete...