Police visited the offices of various media outlets in Kathmandu on Friday, detaining some journalists and searching for others.
Police have arrested three journalists and are searching for at least three more.
Those arrested are Bishwamani Subedi, a journalist with NepalPress.com; Dhiraj Basnet, editor-in-chief of DNA Khabar; and Shobharaj Baral, editor-in-chief of Motivate News.
Police are also searching for Sudip Bishwakarma, editor-in-chief of Diyopost.com; Rita Budhathoki, editor of Diyopost.com; and Nawaraj Mainali, a journalist with Naya Patrika.
Police entered the offices of some media outlets and detained journalists on the premises, while visiting other newsrooms to search for journalists.
On Friday, a team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office arrested Subedi from NepalPress.com’s office in Baneshwar, Kathmandu.
Plainclothes police officers took him away while he was working in the newsroom. He was subsequently handed over to the Cyber Bureau.
Police said that Subedi was arrested on the basis of a letter from the Cyber Bureau. However, authorities have not publicly provided detailed information about the allegations against him or the legal grounds for his arrest.
Meanwhile, according to DNA Khabar editor-in-chief Basnet, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office initially called him, saying they needed to speak with him about an eSewa account number.
Believing he had been summoned for routine questioning, Basnet went to the police office, where he was detained.
“They called and said there was an issue. I thought there must have been some problem, so I went there. Now I am being held here,” Basnet told Setopati. “Shobharajji from Motivate News is also here with me.”
Police have not clarified the specific offenses for which Basnet and Baral have been detained.
Meanwhile, police visited the Diyopost.com office in Anamnagar, Kathmandu, and searched for editor-in-chief Bishwakarma and editor Budhathoki.
A four-member police team led by Inspector Kamal Jung Shahi from the District Police Range, Kathmandu, arrived at the Diyo Post office on Friday.
According to Madan Dhungana, the publication’s news coordinator, the officers entered the office premises. He said he had been informed that the team had also taken journalists’ mobile phones and was examining them.
“I, the editor-in-chief, and the editor are all outside the office. I have been told that a team of four police officers has arrived at the office and is checking our colleagues’ phones,” Dhungana said.
Editor Budhathoki said that she and editor-in-chief Bishwakarma had previously received phone calls asking for their addresses.
She said that the person who called to ask, “What is your address?” appeared suspicious.
Similarly, a police team visited the newsroom of Naya Patrika to look for journalist Nawaraj Mainali.
Although police arrested some journalists and searched for others at various media offices on the same day, it remains unclear whether the incidents are connected.
Police have not provided clear information as to which cases they are investigating, whether complaints have been filed against the journalists, or the grounds for their arrests.
The arrests and searches of media offices, including the inspection of journalists’ mobile phones, have also raised concerns about journalists’ privacy, the protection of confidential news sources, and press freedom.
On Thursday, Nepal Police Headquarters objected to news reports and commentary published about the police leadership. It warned that investigations and legal action would be pursued against those disseminating misleading information.
In its statement, police said that presenting unverified matters as facts based on speculation could damage the organization’s reputation and public trust.
However, police have not clarified whether Friday’s detentions and searches were connected to that warning or were part of separate investigations.
NC leader Mahar condemns attempts to intimidate press
Nepali Congress leader Nain Singh Mahar has objected to the incidents in which police entered media offices and detained journalists.
Mahar said that attempts were being made to silence and intimidate the press.
He said he had received reports that several other journalists were also being sought by police, describing such actions as an attempt by the state to intimidate and humiliate them.
He said that all deliberate actions that undermine democracy were condemnable.
Gen-Z Journalists’ Forum demands end to police crackdown
Gen-Z Journalists’ Forum Nepal has objected to police activities involving the arrest of journalists and searches for media personnel at their offices.
In a statement issued on Friday, the forum described the crackdown over news reports as a serious interference with press freedom.
“If someone disagrees with a news report, there are established avenues to issue a rebuttal, seek legal remedies, and follow the legal procedures governing press freedom and freedom of expression. Deploying police to arrest journalists and search for them inside their offices is not acceptable at all,” the statement said.
The forum recalled that Article 17 of Nepal’s Constitution guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, while Article 19 guarantees the right to communication.
It also noted that Article 20 guarantees the rights of arrested individuals, including the right to be informed of the reasons for their arrest and to consult a lawyer. The forum said that journalists should not be subjected to a crackdown without due legal process.
“Intimidating journalists in the name of investigating issues raised in news reports, arresting them inside their offices, and treating them like criminals simply for writing news stories are unacceptable practices in a democratic system,” the forum said.
The forum urged the Nepal government and Nepal Police to ensure an environment in which journalists can work without fear.
“Press freedom is not a concern limited to journalists. It is an issue linked to democracy, citizens’ right to information, and government accountability. Protecting it is the responsibility of the state,” the statement said.
