21. Punishment

21. Punishment:

(1) Any foreign national who claims to be a Nepalese citizen and acquires Nepalese citizenship by giving false representation shall be sentenced to imprisonment from one year to five years or fined from fifty thousand rupees to one hundred thousand rupees or awarded both penalties. The citizenship acquired by false representation and having penalized pursuant to this clause, the citizenship thus acquired shall be automatically cancelled.

(2) The person who was involved in the process of verification or recommendation in granting citizenship to any foreign national on false particulars shall be sentenced to imprisonment from six months to three years or fined from twenty-five thousand rupees to fifty thousand rupees or awarded both penalties.

(3) Any person who assists and begets false or forged Nepalese Citizenship Certificate and brings it in use shall be sentenced to imprisonment from one year to five years or fined from twenty thousand rupees to one hundred thousand rupees or awarded both penalties

(4) Any person who alters or makes correction and assists in such undertaking on the particulars of the original citizenship certificate shall be sentenced to imprisonment up to three months or fined up to ten thousand rupees or awarded both penalties.

(5) Any person who furnishes and acquires citizenship certificate on false representation pursuant to Section 12 or the converted particulars pursuant to Section 17 is proven to be false or commits and Section to commit any other offence in violation of this Act or the rules enacted under this Act shall be fined up to fifteen thousand Rupees.

(6) The issuing authority of Nepalese Citizenship Certificate intentionally or with mala fide intention in violation of this Act and the Rules enacted under this Act issues Citizenship Certificate or makes changes of the particulars in the Citizenship Certificate, such authority or employee shall be subjected to departmental action as per the prevailing laws.

(7) The person who undertakes or assists in any offences punishable under Sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) shall be awarded half the punishment as mentioned in those Sub-sections.