Siraha based correspondent with Prime Television Mukesh Yadav received threat for reporting news critical to a local representative on August 12. Siraha lies in Madhesh Province of Nepal.
Freedom Forum's representative for the province Rajan Singh reported that Yadav received threat after publication of news on a web portal www.newskarkhana.com on August 7. The news about Dhangadhimai Municipality's staffs and local representatives' involvement in illegal money collection from consumers for drinking water borehole installation in the Municipality was also broadcasted on the television channel on August 11.
Thereafter, the municipal chief Shiv Shankar Mahato called on reporter Yadav's mobile phone and threatened to remove the news from both media. Chief Mahato referred to the reporter as useless journalist and asked him to verify the news or face consequences. The Mayor also threatened another journalist Manilal Bishwakarma working in Nayapatrika national daily. "But we chose to stay silent and continue reporting", said reporter Yadav.
FF is concerned over the incident as it is sheer violation of press freedom. The local authority should be well aware of the legal way to express concern over the published news. FF strongly urges the concerned authority to respect journalists' right to free reporting.
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Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np