The Supreme Court of Nepal has made a strong decision in favor of teachers who were accused in criminal cases but later proved innocent. The court said these teachers must receive full salary and benefits for the time they were suspended or jailed.
This ruling came after teacher Tejnarayan Ray, who was jailed in a murder case, got a clean chit from the appeals court. Despite being proven innocent, the Ministry of Education refused to pay his salary for the time he was in custody and did not count that time in his service years.
Ray had been working as a permanent teacher in Sarlahi since 2046 BS. He was arrested in 2068 after a murder incident and later sentenced to life imprisonment by the district court. But the Janakpur appeals court found him not guilty and released him. After his release, the Attorney General’s Office did not challenge the decision, making it final.
Ray then wrote to the District Education Office to return to duty. But officials said they couldn’t pay his salary since he was “absent without approved leave.” Even his service period was not counted.
Unhappy with this, Ray went to the Supreme Court. The court ruled that since he was found innocent, denying him salary and benefits was unfair and against legal norms. The court clearly stated that jail time due to criminal accusations should not block salary or career growth if the person is later cleared.
Judges Dr. Nahkul Subedi and Til Prasad Shrestha, who delivered the verdict, said Ray must receive his full salary for the suspension period and the time must be added to his total service years. This decision sets a major legal example for future cases involving falsely accused teachers.
