Journalist with an online news portal www.kapurbot.com and a youtube channel Kapurbot TV, Santosh Deuja who was issued arrest warrant by Kathmandu District Court on October 13 was acquitted by the court on August 25, 2021.
Deuja is also asociated with Simara-based Radio Samarpan. Simara lies in Bara district of Province 2 of Nepal.
According to the police officials, Nepal Police Cyber Bureau has charged Deuja for committing crime under Electronic Transaction Act, 2008.
He has been charged the offense following a defamation complaint lodged by local Neelam Sah.
The complaint has been lodged for broadcasting an interview of Sah and her husband on the youtube channel few days before, according to journalist Deuja.
Freedom Forum is concerned over the incident as charging the journalist under cyber crime offense for reporting news is sheer violation of press freedom and misuse of the law. Hence, FF urges the concerned authority to either approach the rightful body- Press Council Nepal for any reservation upon media contents or file the case under defamation as per Criminal Code Act.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022
(The page was upated on February 25, 2024)