Traffic police have released the vehicles that were parked just outside the gates of Kantipur Media Group, Onlinekhabar, and Himalayan Television after fining their owners.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Suresh Kafle of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, the vehicles parked in front of the three media houses were fined in accordance with traffic regulations and released by Monday evening.
A vehicle with registration number Ba Pradesh 01 034 Cha 8480 was left parked directly in front of the Kantipur Media Group gate in Tinkune. CCTV footage broadcast by Kantipur shows an individual wearing a mask, glasses, and a cap leaving the vehicle despite security guards requesting them not to park there.
It was later revealed that the vehicle belongs to Ravi Jaiswal, a former member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Central Investigation and Documentation Department.
Similar reports emerged regarding a vehicle blocking traffic in front of the Onlinekhabar office in Buddhanagar. The vehicle, bearing registration number Ba 12 Cha 8545, was found to be registered under the name of Sunil Paudel, though it was later revealed that an individual named Sujan Paudel had parked it there.
Likewise, a vehicle with registration number Ba 10 Cha 1255 was parked in front of Himalayan Television in Mid-Baneshwar. The vehicle was found to be registered to DR Automotives in Dhumbarahi.
These incidents, where vehicles were left in front of various media houses, sparked widespread criticism.
Traffic police conducted basic inquiries and issued fines before releasing the individuals involved.
SSP Kafle said that traffic police took action against vehicles illegally parked in 14 locations across Kathmandu.
On the same day, vehicles were also found illegally parked outside Bhat-Bhateni in Anamnagar, in front of the residence of Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa, in the middle of the road in Baneshwar, and at several other locations.
Despite the fact that these incidents caused panic in the media sector and disrupted traffic management, traffic police only conducted routine questioning.
"When we asked them, some claimed others had parked the vehicles, or that their drivers had left them there, or offered excuses like being intoxicated. When we told them this was unacceptable, they promised not to do it again," said SSP Kafle. "Some of these individuals are repeat offenders."
Police were informed after the vehicles were found parked suspiciously in front of the media houses.
Suspecting that the vehicles could contain suspicious objects, police carried out security inspections. After finding nothing suspicious, all the vehicles were towed by crane to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office.
