Dilliraj pokharel, a correspondent for Avenues TV and Niranraj Bana, a camera person for the same station, were beaten up by the employees of Casino Venus in Kathmandu today at around 9 AM in the morning.
The duo Avenues staffers were there to cover the news on the police raid on Casino Venus yesterday. Casio Venus is located in the premises of Hotel Malla in Lazimpat.
Correspondent Pokhrel and camera person Bana were called by the casino employees to today morning to report another incident of scuffle between the police and the casino employees in Hotel Malla. Pokhrel and Bana were attacked by a group of some 50-60 people all of a sudden as both reached the casino premises.
Pokhrel sustained injuries all over his body where as camera person Bana got wounds on his face. In the incident camera belonging to Avenues TV was too damaged.
Freedom Forum strongly condemns the incident and demands for proper treatment of injured journalists and compensation for the damaged camera. Freedom Forum dubs the incident as a deliberate press freedom violation as casino staffers were called journalists to the Casino for reporting. FNJ strongly urges the government to take legal action against those involved in the incident.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022