.png)
According to the SC source, about 350 borrowers have not returned books -- most of which are authored by foreign writers and cost over Rs 15,000. The total cost of the long-overdue books has been estimated to be more than eight million rupees.
There is a big number of high-profile borrowers, including former CJs, justices, registrars and serving justices, who failed to deposit the books back to the library. Former Chief Justices Bishwanath Upadhyay, Trilok Pratap Rana, Om Bhakta Shrestha, Nayan Bahadur Khatri, Mohan Prasad Sharma, Govinda Bahadur Shrestha, Hari Prasad Sharma, and Keshav Prasad Upadhyay have not returned books issued in their names. The SC library lends books for a week to month.
The overdue-book-list includes ten books issued in the name of former CJ Bishwanath Upadhyay since 1978/79, two each in the name of Trilok Pratap Rana, Om Bhakta Shrestha and Keshav Prasad Upadhyay, three each in Mohan Prasad Sharma and Khatri’s names, and four in the name of Govinda Bahadur Shrestha. Most of the books were borrowed from 1969 to 1998.
“They borrowed some books in person and some through bench assistants,” said an SC justice, “It’s matter of morality; they would have returned the books that are state property on their own at the time they retired.”
A former CJ, however, said that he has not borrowed books for personal use and claimed that somebody else used his name in an unauthorized way.
“For discussion in some cases while giving verdict and issuing orders, books were referred to,” former CJ Bishwanath said, “But I have not borrowed books for the SC and kept with myself. Somebody might have taken away books in my name.”
Former CJ Khatri said he does not remember as to when he last took the book. "It's been almost 24 years I retired as Chief Justice. The SC administration would have reminded me on time," said he, "It's not good to remind after so many years."
The SC had asked him to return books last Thursday.
The failure in recollection of the books reached the SC full bench meeting recently. The meeting had discussed whether to request borrowers to return the books, to declare overdue through auditing, or to grant a pardon. The SC has started making telephone request to the persons concerned to return the books.
The SC spokesperson Til Prasad Shrestha said the SC will collect information in detail about the quantity of books borrowed along with the borrowers' name and date of issue. "Administrative process will begin for the recollection of books," he said. The overdue books are on different legal subject matters.Riddhi Man Bajrachayra, who was registrar and also served the as ad hoc justice at the SC, tops the list with two dozen books borrowed since 1981 but none returned yet.
Appellate Court Justice Madhav Prasad Chalise is second in the list. Records show that 20 books have been issued in his name from 1982 to 88. However, not a single book has been deposited back.
Books borrowed by former SC Justices' Hari Govinda Singh (10), Krishna Jung Rayamajhi (3), Gajendra Kesari Bastola (15), Sharada Shrestha (4), Prakash Bahadur KC (2), Prachanda Raj Anil (2) are yet to be returned.
Likewise, over dozen of books issued in the names of former justices Ratna Bahadur Bista, Mahendra Man Pradhan and Bampar Prasad Singh have also not been returned.
Dozens of books borrowed by Appellate Court Justices Madhav Prasad Chalise (20) Mira Khadka (8), Shambhu Khadka (2), Rishi Raj Joshi, Sharada Prasad Ghimire, Devendra Gopal Shrestha and Ananda Mohan Bhattarai could not make it back to the SC library shelves.
Shambhu Khadka was the member secretary of the then Royal Commission for Corruption Control formed during the royal takeover.
District judges Ram Oli, Sushmalata Mathema, Tek Narayan Kunwar, Narayan Shrestha and Prabha Shrestha also have not deposited the books back to the library. Kunwar has not returned about a dozen of books over constitution, women and human rights that he borrowed at different times when he was the deputy registrar.
Former SC Registrars Shree Prasad Pandit on Feb. 22, 2002 and Nirmal Kumar Dhungana on Dec. 23, 1998 borrowed "Civil Procedure Code" and ‘Major Legal System” respectively.
Shesharaj Shiwakoti, who is now stationed at the Labour Court Kathmandu, also has not returned six books.
Books issued in the names of former JC Secretary Indira Rana, Deputy Attorney General Kumar Chudal, advocates Hari Neupane, Ramananda Singh, and Mohan Bir Uttam are also yet to be deposited back to the libarary.Ministry library also faces similar problem
The Law Ministry library also has similar scenario.Former Law Minister Niranjan Thapa (3), former Chief Secretary Tirtha Man Shakya (3), former Secretary Udaya Nepali Shrestha (7) and about a dozen of joint and under secretaries have not returned the books they borrowed.
Under secretaries Arjun Kumar Khadka, Ganga Bahadur Kharel, Lila Devi Gadtaula, Uddhav Prasad Bhattarai, Rudra Prasad Sitaula and Krishi Raj Bhandari are few other names who failed to return the books.
The Auditor’s General’s report in 2007/2008 has already declared the books borrowed from the ministry library but not returned as overdue.
