Himalayan News Service

Dhulikhel, March 20:

The number of cases in Kavre District Court has decreased lately due to Maoist fear. The court, which used to remain busy throughout the office hour, now hardly hears a dozen of cases a month. The people from rural areas do not come to the court because the Maoists have prohibited them to enter court premises.

According to the court, 1500 to 2,000 cases used to be piled up in previous years whereas this year only 569 cases have remained to be decided. Basu Dev Shrestha, branch executive at the court, said that only 13 cases were registered in the month of Falgun and only two cases — related to divorce and property — were registered till the first week of Chaitra. Devendra Raj Sharma, judge of the court, said the number of cases has decreased in the last two years, as the VDC secretaries are not in their respective offices.

However, 53 government/civil cases were registered from the Office of the Attorney General while 18 arms cases were registered at the district administration office. Twenty cases have been registered at the district court while six have been registered at the district administration till the first week of Chaitra. Seventeen VDCs across Koshi River and 10 VDCs in the hilly areas are affected by the Maoist movement and they have prohibited government officials from entering into these areas.

“The Maoists do not let us go to the villages and they also search our luggage; but they have not misbehaved with us as of now," a court official told The Himalayan Times. Cases only from Banepa, Dhulikhel, Panauti and other surrounding areas are registered at the court these days. Ram Hari Khadka, vice-chairman of the Nepal Bar Association, Kavre, said the Maoist embargo has hampered court proceedings in Kavre. He added that the court is yet to collect Rs 4.7 million fine.

Netra Prasad Kafle, a member of NBA, said insurgency is the main cause behind decrease in the registration of cases. There are about 60 lawyers practicing in Kavre. Due to the decrease in the number of cases, lawyers are facing hard times.

Most of them are thinking of finding alternative jobs.