Home Ministry has barred journalists from reporting an event of report submission to Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on on September 25, 018 by a probe committee formed to investigate rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta of Kanchanpur district.
Police personals deployed at the ministry barred journalists citing that the event was not open for media. According to Nagarik Daily security affairs journalist Tapendra Karki journalists returned to their offices with bare hands after the ministry barring them from reporting of the event.
The ministry itself had informed journalists about the report submission event, earlier on the day. After barring journalists from reporting, the Ministry itself circulated the photo of report submission through National News Agency but the content of the report is not made public yet.
Women rights activists and civil society members have been demanding to the government making the report public since the culprit in the incident is yet to be traced out for two months of the incident.
Journalists are always allowed to access the reporting of report submission events, but some reports become subject of privacy depending on the case. But the ministry not only hide the finding of the investigation on keenly watched investigation.
Freedom Forum there condemns the obstruction for reporting an event of report submission. It is the violation of press freedom and efforts to fuel non transparency. The concerned Committee is requested not to repeat such in the days ahead.
For More Information
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
www.nepalpressfreedom.org
www.freedomforum.org.np
4102030, 4102022