Government employees have manhandled reporter with Nagarik daily from Bara, Upendra Yadav, over news story. The staffs at District Forest Office manhandled and spoke foul word on him on 8 March. Bara lies on the southern plains of Nepal.
He was misbehaved for writing a news story entitled "50 cubic feet timber seized" which was published in the Nagarik daily.
Talking to Freedom Forum over phone, Reporter Yadav said, "Around 1:00 pm officers from District Forest Officer called me for a meeting with them at regarding the news on seized timber. After I reached there, DFO Bhairab Ghimire started talking foul on me for writing news against them and then, assistant forest officers Bindheswor Patel and Shiv Shankar Thakur tried to attack me. However, a local UML leader stopped them."
On further enquiry about the news, reporter Yadav argued that the news was evidence based.
Freedom Forum condemns the incident that which is a gross violation of press freedom. Intimidation on journalist Yadav has caused fear of government officials. Despite writing an evidence-based news, the hostility from the the responsible government employees is condemnable. They must acknowledge the role of media for democratic society.
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