Keshav Bohora, a Nepalese radio journalist working with Radio Mandavi, Pyuthan was released last night (July 1) after more than 30 hours abduction by an unidentified gang. Journalist Bohora, who was abducted on June 30 reportedly for the news coverage on land dispute, was released nearby Gorusinge of Kapilvastu adjacent to Pyuthan.
The abductors freed and left him on the road some two kilometers away from Gorusinge Police Post of Kapilvastu, according to a mission of journalists who met and rescued Bohora at 3.00 AM Thursday night. Journalist Bohora had first come in contact with the police post in Gorusinge at around 10.30 after two-hour walk from the place he was freed. The police admitted him in a local health post and provided treatment. The mission team quoted journalist Bohora of saying that he was blind folded throughout the abduction and an unidentified group claiming themselves to be Maoist cadres abducted him on June 30, Wednesday reportedly over a news on land dispute he aired through radio. The unmasked group consisting of five male and one female with pistol had abducted him from Devisthan of Tiram in Pyuthan district. They have kept journalist Bohora in captivity without providing him any food to eat. “The abductors even did not provide me anything to eat during the period. I was given water only after 15 hours of abduction. I found myself in a stranger area when my mobile phone alarmed in the morning”, said Bohora after his public appearance in a press conference held in Pyuthan district headquarter Khalanga today. They told him that he was put in captivity for reporting the dispute centered around the land of Swargadwari Temple captured by Unified CPN (Maoist) and his involvement in District Chapter of Nepal Red Cross, according to a mission. The mission quoted him of saying that "We released you just because Prime Minister Madhav Kumar resigned from his post otherwise you will have slim chance to back to life”. Freedom Forum alerts all national and international friends that the incident has served as a testimony that Nepal is becoming a danger zone for journalists to exercise their freedom of expression and to do their duty to impart information to people. Freedom Forum strongly condemns the incident of captivating journalists and asks the Maoists to bring out reality behind the abduction. “The government should fairly investigate into the incident and bring the guilty otherwise impunity will grow in the country resulting insecure environment for journalists to work”, said Freedom Forum Chairperson Dahal. He added, “There seems clear involvement of Maoists in the incident which has again put them in the circle of suspicion with regard to their commitment to press freedom”. Maoists should help investigate into the incident to curb such tendency, otherwise their honesty will be nude before the entire world community.
We urge the government to palce high alert towards the security of abducted journalist Bohora who may face any threats and untoward accident in the future because of the effect of his work.
PREVIOUSLY:
Keshav Bohora, a journalist working with Radio Mandavi, Pyuthan has been abducted by an unknown group on June 30, Wednesday reportedly over a news item he disseminated.
An unidentified gang called Bohara at Tiram and abducted him. He was last spotted having meal at Devisthan in Pyuthan and had left for Tiram, Baddanda on Wednesday morning.
The abductors called secretary of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Pyuthan Deepak Bhandari at 3 pm, Wednesday and informed him that Bohara was in their custody. "In the background I heard Keshav shouting, "Deep save me, they are planning to kill me in Tiram", said Bhandari. The phone was switched off after that. His whereabouts is yet to be known.
Bohara had been receiving threats for the last 15 days over a Mandavi Radio news broadcast concerning a dispute over land belonging to the Sworgadwari Temple. Reportedly, journalist Bohara has questioned Unified CPN (Maoist) regarding the ownership of land during a live broadcast recently. It is said that large numbers of policemen, journalists and human rights activists are engaged in searching Bohara and they have intensified their search in Tiram area. Terming the incident 'cowardice', Freedom Forum strongly denounces the act of abducting journalist. Nepali journalists have been facing the myriad of problems including intimidation, threat and attack from the different section of society. However, state has been frequently being failure to provide security to journalist and to end impunity. Involvement of the political actors to gag the press is also a crucial issues and clear commitment and action from the political parties is yet to be waited. The Forum urges the government to investigate into the incident at the earliest and bring the guilty to books. Further, the Forum warns the government to not release the predator of press freedom as in the past.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022