Reporter with News 24 TV, onlinekhabar news portal and Arthik Abhiyan daily, Raj Kamal Singh, from Dhanusha district was attacked over a news story he published in the Arthik Abhiyan daily on Tuesday.
The reporter was attacked on September 14 over the news story that was about the misuse of budget in the District Development Committee (DDC) and Constituency Development Fund.
A group of some seven persons led by Nawin Gohiwar, President of Dhanusha Constituency-1 of Nepali Congress party attacked reporter Singh reasoning the news earned disrepute to Gohiwar's political image.
Reporter Singh said to Media Monitoring Desk of Freedom Forum, "Early in the morning while I was in a teashop at local Bhanuchowk of Janakpurdham, I received a call from Nawin Gohiwar, asking to meet him to talk on some issues. But, within a minute of phone talk, a group of seven people including Nawin Gohiwar, and some staffs from DDC attacked me and attempted to abduct. Their intention was to abduct and release with torture. They attacked me with fists. I got serious injury on back of my head and had to take medicine."
Attackers arrested
After a while, the district police arrested the attackers- Nawin Gohiwar, Rajdevi Gohiwar, Pushpendra Goit, Sanjiv Kumar Mandal and Santosh Yadav.
The incident denudes how hostile and harsh the political leaders and bureaucracy are towards the media. They are so secretive that they always hide information from public and from media persons. Their attack on media person is quite condemnable.
Freedom Forum therefore strongly condemns the incident as it has violated press freedom and panicked reporter exposing administrative and financial irregularities. The political leaders and cadres must improved their behavior and change their perspective towards media. Meanwhile, the immediate arrest by the police is laudable. The attackers must be taken stringent action in a bid to reduce impunity relating to press freedom.
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;