Nepal Police have arrested owner of an online news media portal Shyam Roka on January 15, 2019 following complaints from Bibeksheel Party Nepal leader Ranju Darshana over involvement in her character assassination through news. The incident took place in Kathmandu, Province 3.
Yet again, Nepal Police have arrested two online editor/owner of an online news media portal namely Shyam Roka of multikhabar.com and nepaltalk.com on January 15, 2019 and editor of capitalonline.com Suman Adhikari following complaints from Bibeksheel Party Nepal leader Ranju Darshana over involvement in her character assassination through news. The incident took place in Kathmandu, Province 3.
Freedom Forum's representative for Province 3 Ashok Dahal reported that Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police arrested Roka from his office in Budkanilkantha and started prosecution under Electronic Transaction Act (ETA). Quoting Police Inspector Narendra Prasad Upreti, representative Dahal further stated that Metropolitan Police Circle has taken Roka into judicial detention for further investigation after taking order from the District Administration Office on January 16.
Two online portals- www.nepaltalk.com and www.muktikhabar.com- owned by Roka and capitalonline.com had published similar news items between January 12 and 13 indicating attempt of sexual violence from a party leader against her as a reason behind her decision to quit the party. Darshana then moved to the police and filed complaints against five online news portals for trying her character assassination through the news, informed representative Dahal.
But instead of suing the journalists and media owners under defamation laws, the police authority has misused the ETA once again.
Freedom Forum has serious concern over the owner's arrest under ETA act and wants to remind Nepal Police that the case comes under Defamation law. Also, citizens have full right to file the complaints but not by invoking wrong law. Hence, FF urges the concerned authority not to misuse the provisions under ETA act.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030