Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Pravin Kumar Shrestha of Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal has retired after the Supreme Court ruled out the previous interim order.
A joint bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher JB Rana and Justice Kumar Chudal issued the order after conducting the hearing in the case.
The single bench of Justice Anil Kumar Sinha had issued a short-term interim order not to immediately implement the letter of compulsory leave given to Shrestha. However, the apex court today summoned both parties for discussion and issue the interim order.
Shrestha had retired from the service on June 23 after completing the four-year tenure of DIG.
There is also a provision in the APF regulations that when the age limit of the DIG is less than 56 years and the service period is also less than 30 years, the service period can be extended by one year
The age of DIG Shrestha is 53 years only and his service period has reached 25 years, seven months. It has been noted that the government led by KP Sharma Oli had extended the service period for the APF officers. The service period for DIG Khadgajit Rai and DIG Mandeep Shrestha had been extended by one year in January while Additional Inspector Generals (AIG) Pushparaj KC and AIG Ramsharan Poudel in April.
As per Rule 56 of the APF Regulations, the government may extend the service period of the officers by one year despite matching with the condition for compulsory retirement.
On May 30, Inspector General of APF, Shailendra Khanal, had sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs to extend the service period of DIG Shrestha. The letter was filed at the ministry on the same day.
However, Shrestha who retired on June 23 received the letter of retirement only on July 13, the writ filed by DIG Shrestha mentioned. Shrestha had claimed that the letter he had received from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration on April 28 was against the law.
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