Reporter and Publisher of Sthaniya Patra, a weekly print media outlet brought out from Nawalparasi, Rabilal Pandey, was arrested and misbehaved by security personnel while covering news on 13 May 2018.
The security personnel associated to the Nepal Police arrested journalist Pandey from Butwal- a major commercial city of the Province 5 – at 4.00pm on Sunday.
Before the arrest, police personnel had also abused him for allegedly attending the protest rally organized in the city against the recent state visit to Nepal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Victim journalist Pandey shared the information with the Media Monitoring Desk of Freedom Forum, “The Area Police released me only after three hours around 7.00pm.” He further informed that police misbehaved, arrested and detained him despite presenting him as a working journalist.
The ill-treatment meted out to the journalist while performing duty at field creates psychological threat which is detrimental to free reporting.
Freedom Forum condemns the arrest and detention of journalist and urges the concerned security agency to respect the profession which has direct bearing on citizen's right to know via media.
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;