Patan High Court Rules Traffic Police Cannot Seize Vehicle Keys, Calls for End to Arbitrary Actions

In a landmark decision, the Patan High Court has ruled that traffic police have no legal authority to seize vehicle keys, emphasizing that such actions are unlawful and must stop immediately.

The verdict came in response to a writ petition filed by Nepal Law Campus student Bibek Chaudhary, following a widely circulated video of a traffic police officer attempting to take a driver's keys near Kathmandu’s Tukucha River area last year. Justices Chandramani Gyawali and Kabi Prasad Neupane issued a directive order to the traffic police and Nepal Police Headquarters, stating that vehicle key seizure under the pretext of inspection is not backed by law.

The court remarked that police officers holding public office must act within legal boundaries and refrain from intimidating the public. Though the court didn’t issue a mandamus—as the video lacked clear proof that the key was actually taken—it still declared such conduct unlawful and warned against repeating it.

Despite the traffic police's claim that they have the right to seize keys, the court firmly dismissed that argument, stressing that no such provision exists in current legal frameworks.

Legal experts are calling the decision a significant step forward in protecting public rights and encouraging lawful conduct within the police force. The ruling has offered a sense of relief to everyday drivers and is expected to pressure law enforcement agencies into long-overdue behavioral reforms.