Senior police officers challenge retirement age in apex court

KATHMANDU: Senior officers of the Nepal Police have knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, demanding a change in a policy that mandates retirement on age grounds.

Additional Inspector Generals (AIGs) Shyam Lal Gyawali and Bhim Prasad Dhakal, and Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) Kedar Dhakal, Rajesh Nath Bastola, Yagya Binod Pokharel, as well as Inspector Nagendra Thakur registered a writ petition on Wednesday, demanding an apex court order to prevent retirement on age grounds.

Supreme Court Spokesperson Achyut Koirala confirmed that the petition has been registered.

According to the Nepal Police Regulations, 2014, police inspectors retire at 52, while the retirement age for DIGs and AIGs is 56 years. As per the regulation, AIG Gyawali is retiring on September 10. DIGs Rajesh Bastola, Kedar Dhakal and Yagya Binod Pokharel are also nearing retirement. Another AIG, Ramdutta Joshi, is scheduled to retire on October 2.

Earlier, SSP Jeevan Kumar Shrestha and other police officials had filed a petition to abolish the 30-year service limit in the police service. A single bench of Justice Hari Phuyal has already issued an interim order to not implement the 30-year limit. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 10.

Senior officers from the Armed Police Force have also filed a similar petition. Hearing the petition, the Supreme Court has issued a show-cause order to the government.