KATHMANDU: Outgoing Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal failed to clear

his name over the date of birth anomaly even on the last day in office.

The Supreme Court, which was slated to hear

the case on the anomaly over Katawal’s date of birth, put off the hearing till

November 11. The reason: Lack of time for the division bench, comprising Justices Ram Prasad Shrestha and Gauri Dhakal.

His employer, the Nepali Army (NA), too, has been at fault.

The NA is yet to furnish details of his service record despite the apex court’s order, which was issued on May 6.

Today was the 11th time that the hearing got postponed. Earlier, the SC was slated to announce its verdict on the case that has been going on for the past three years on April 8, 2008.

But, a procedural complication led to the delay in the announcement of the verdict. On April 8, BA Kumar Sharma, chief, legal department, NA, told the apex court he would not be able to produce General Katawal’s service record unless the SC issued a special order for the same. Subsequently, the SC issued the order.

Dilhari Sharma, who had moved the court on September 11, 2006, citing

the anomaly over Katawal’s date of birth, is peeved

with the SC.

“The CoAS retired today. I’ve been denied justice. If the legal practitioners cannot get speedy justice, then just think of the plight of the common people?” asked an angry Sharma.

As per the royal decree of late King Birendra, General Katawal’s date of birth was corrected in 1976. The correction made him four years younger than his actual age.

Sharma has sought the apex court’s intervention to quash the royal decree. Had the court paid heed to the plea, then General Katawal would have retired long before. Katawal’s counsel Harihar Dahal, however, maintained that the law was taking its own course and time.

“The case didn’t get a priority order from the SC. Naturally, a speedy verdict is never a possibility,” he explained.