Nepal’s Chief Justice sacked for faking birth dates
■ With inconsistencies in birth dates, Parajuli was found ‘ working beyond retirement’ ◗ The decision came just minutes before Parajuli administered the oath of office to Bidya Bhandari, who was reelected for a second presidential term on Tuesday ◗ The Ju
Kathmandu, March 14: Nepal’s controversial Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli was on Wednesday sacked by the country's Judicial Council for inconsistencies in his birth dates and remaining in office even after crossing the retirement age.
The decision came just minutes before Parajuli administered the oath of office to Bidya Bhandari, who was reelected for a second presidential term on Tuesday.
The Judicial Council in the removal letter to Chief Justice cited inconsistencies in the birth dates as mentioned in his citizenship and academic certificates. The judicial council said that Parajuli should have retired seven months ago when he turned 65, the age of retirement for official positions in Nepal.
"According to a secretary level decision of March 14, 2018, we inform that respectable Gopal Prasad Parajuli no longer remains in the post of Chief Justice as he has crossed the retirement age of 65 on August 5, 20017," read the letter issued by JC Secretary Niraula.
The letter has stated that the decision was made based on Parajuli's citizenship at the secretariat, his academic qualifications, details and letter received from Examination Controller's Office in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur.
The JC's decision comes in the wake of controversy surrounding Parajuli's date of birth and widespread condemnation of his move to charge the Nepal's leading newspaper Kantipur Daily with contempt of court for a series of articles that said he had given up to five different dates of birth on various official documents.
Parajuli was under pressure from his own team of justices to either resign or stay away from the judicial process after nine justices boycotted the benches assigned to them.
A question has been raised over the legitimacy of the swearing- in of Bhandari as the Judicial Council issued the letter to sack Parajuli minutes before he administered the oath of office to her.