Freedom Forum has been alarmed over the threat of attack issued on Tanka Khadka, reporter for the Karobar daily, over the news writing, in Sindhupalchowk, a hilly district neighbouring to the capital city, on January 22.
Rabindra Shrestha and Sudarshan Pradhan, locals of Chautara from the district, issued the threat of attack on reporter Khadka over phone, reasoning he wrote the news on a land they had taken on lease.
Talking to Freedom Forum's Monitoring Desk, reporter Khadka said that Pradhan and Shrestha threatened him of physical attack, saying 'why he wrote the news on the land they took in lease from a school. They would attack him at any moment they meet him.'
Reporter Khadka further said he had written in the news that a local school had given a land in lease on very cheap price, and the complaints of the local people against lease holders.
To this, Freedom Forum is of the view that the story can compel the school to raise charge, thereby irritating more to the contractors. It therefore may result in further threats to the whistleblower journalist Khadka. Therefore, the concerned security authority and the administration must provide security to him, and help protect his rights to free reporting.
For More Information
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
Post Box No: 24292
Phone No. 4102030, 4102022
Website: www.nepalpressfreedom.org; www.freedomforum.org.np
Email: monitoring@freedomforum.org.np; info@freedomforum.org.np;