Kathmandu District Court issued an interlocutory order against a news portal, Biznessnews.com on July 19. The order directs the news portal to remove total 66 news articles published on the portal related to the case.
The order was issued following a complaint filed by Cimex Inc. Pvt. Ltd., official distributor of a vehicle brand in Nepal, seeking to halt the publication of news reports of the company. Biznessnews.com has been publishing news highlighting concerns regarding alleged irregularities and misconduct by the distributor company in the sale of vehicles.
The court’s order states that it is a continuation of an interlocutory order issued on June 8 and directs the media outlet not to publish or broadcast news related to the applicant (Cimex Inc. Pvt. Ltd.). It further states that previously published reports should not be republished and should be removed from all online platforms until the case is resolved. However, according to the media outlet, no such interlocutory order was issued on June 8.
Freedom Forum expresses serious concern over the court’s order. The court's order doesnot state any detail on verification of published content. Thus, issuing such order without a basic verification of the accuracy of published news raises concerns regarding constitutional protections for press freedom and right to information.
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