Police Raid Jana Aastha Office Day After Arrest of Editor Kishor Shrestha

Dragon Media Correspondent

Police raided the office of Jana Aastha weekly on Thursday morning, a day after its chairman and editor, Kishor Shrestha, was arrested, and seized computers and other materials from the premises.

According to available information, a police team reached the publication’s office in the morning and deployed personnel around the premises before taking computers and other items into custody for investigation.

Shrestha had been arrested on Wednesday evening. According to Kathmandu police, legal proceedings have been initiated against him in connection with an alleged offence related to personal privacy.

Police said the case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Dipika Singh, with the Government of Nepal acting as the plaintiff in the privacy-related criminal case.

The police action at the media office, coming a day after Shrestha’s arrest, has drawn considerable attention within Nepal’s journalistic community.

Authorities have said the seized materials are related to the ongoing investigation. However, detailed information about the specific items taken from the office and the legal basis for the search has not yet been fully disclosed.

Shrestha’s arrest and the subsequent raid have also raised concerns among journalists and media organisations over press and freedom of expression, with calls for state agencies to exercise particular restraint and sensitivity when dealing with matters involving journalistic work.