Associate editor at www.pokharapati.com (an online news portal) Raj Kumar Ghimire was arrested while returning back after reporting a program in Kaski district on November 23. Pokhara lies in the Gandaki Province of Nepal.
Talking to Freedom Forum, a fellow journalist at the province Rajendra Adhikari said that Nepal Police asked the journalist to show his press card, camera, and diary while returning from the program of the Biplob-led Maoist party. On this, Ghimire showed his card which was outdated reasoning he could not renew it due to lockdown and current pandemic situation. Then, the police arrested him and took him to the District Police Office, Kaski.
Again, FF called District Police Chief Subash Hamal, who informed of Ghimire being a non-journalist and his alleged association with Biplob-led Maoist party. He further informed that Ghimire will be in custody for few days till the investigation continues.
Furthermore, Federation of Nepali Journalists' Kaski Chapter has quoted Ghimire's family as saying he had gone to prepare a news report on the program on its press release.
Freedom Forum is concerned over the incident and demands for fair investigation of the case.
-Update-
Ghimire was released on December 11.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np