KATHMANDU, July 16: Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha revoked the outgoing chief justice Ram Kumar Prasad Shah's decision to transfer some judges on deputation and transferred judges who have served in a court for two years.
Shah had transferred 41 judges on deputation even as Shrestha's appointment process was already under way. Shah had drawn criticism from judicial staffers and others for transferring judges just two weeks before his retirement.Revoking Shah's move, the Judicial Council, headed by Chief Justice Shrestha, transferred 34 judges to the appellate courts and 179 judges to district courts. Council Secretary Krishna Giri informed that district court judges, who were appointed before 2070 BS, and 88 others, have been transferred on Thursday, while 34 judges at the appellate courts have also been transferred.
According to a source at the council, Sushmalata Mathema has been transferred to Pokhara Appellate Court from Butwal, Satyaraj Gurung to Pokhara from Janakpur, Baburam Regmi to Hetauda from Patan, Prem Raj Karki to Butwal from Pokhara, Binod Sharma to Butwal from Patan, Yagya Prasad Bayal to Nepalgunj from Rajbiraj and Til Prasad Shrestha to Patan from the Hetauda Appellate Court.
Likewise, district court judge Tek Narayan Kunwar has been transferred to Biratnagar from Lalitpur, Hemanta Rawal to Kathmandu from Rukum, Kul Prasad Sharm to Nuwakot from Kathmandu, Umesh Prasad Luintel to Lalitpur from Ramechhap and Parshuram Bhattarai to Judicial Council from Sunsari district court.
After assuming office, Chief Justice Shrestha has given priority to appointment, transfer and promotion of judges. The meeting of the Judicial Service Commission, chaired by Chief Justice Shrestha, on Wednesday had recommended the government to appoint Shree Kanta Paudel as the registrar of the Supreme Court. Paudel has been functioning as the acting registrar after then registrar Lohit Chandra Shah was appointed judge at the Baglung Appellate Court last year. Likewise, the commission has recommended Krishna Giri as the secretary of the Judicial Council. Giri has been working as the acting secretary for last two years.
Meanwhile, Shrestha last week formed a probe committee to study the controversy over recruitment and procurement for the IT section of the Supreme Court. The probe committee includes justices Om Prakash Mishra and Devendra Gopal Shrestha along with Joint-Registrar Mahendranath Upadhyaya.
Shah had decided to chair the IT Committee against the tradition of chief justice not chairing any such committee and courted controversy after judicial staffers accused him of irregularities.
Shrestha has nominated Justice Sushila Karki as the chair of the committee.
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