Nepal Police summoned several journalists to the Cyber Bureau for questioning regarding reports critical of the police force after receiving concerns from the Prime Minister's Office. On Friday afternoon, plainclothes police officers detained Bishwamani Subedi, Shobharaj Baral, and Dhiraj Basnet, while also attempting to take Navaraj Mainali into custody from the Naya Patrika daily office.
The Prime Minister's Office stated it had no prior knowledge of the detentions and that Prime Minister Balendra Shah ordered the immediate release of the journalists upon learning of the incident. Dipa Dahal, communications adviser to the prime minister, noted that the prime minister instructed authorities to release the journalists immediately and refrain from entering newsrooms or taking action against journalists there.
Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle explained in a statement that the Cyber Bureau called in media workers to seek basic information regarding the factual basis and legal grounds of reports circulating about the police. The statement mentioned that the force acted because of concerns raised by the Prime Minister's Office that false reports on social media could harm public trust in the police, government relations, and ongoing investigations.
The police action faced widespread criticism, including opposition from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party. Kafle stated that the Nepal Police remains supportive of the press as the fourth pillar of the state, maintaining a commitment to press freedom and journalist safety. Nepal is a country in South Asia known for its capital Kathmandu and developing democratic governance institutions.
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