Reporter with the lightnepal news portal, Rupani GM, was manhandled while reporting about the death of a student at Nepal Police School, Samakhushi, in the capital city on 26 April. Police persons seized her camera and switched it off, barring her from taking video.
Talking to Freedom Forum, reporter GM said, "When Police was making public an investigation report on Kundan Thapa's death, I had been there to update whether school's administration had responded to his family's protest and provided them compensation. But while I was waiting to meet the Principal at the waiting room, I found that Kundan's family was barred from entering into the school. I started visualizing the forceful obstruction to the entry of Thapa's family. Then, the police persons seized my camera, and manhandled me, asking to stop visualizing."
Even though I introduced myself as journalist, they did not stop. Rather, they asked me who gave me permission to report inside the school, she added.
Freedom Forum vehemently condemns the intimidation on female journalist by Nepal Police. Attack on media for reporting is the gross violation of press freedom. FF urges the concerned bodies to realize the journalist's right to free reporting. More abhorring is the fact that the Police, which is a responsible body to everyone's security, is hostile to journalist.
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