Durga Prasai’s Arrest: A Joke with a Serious Question

Dragon Media News Desk

“Durga Prasai has been arrested again! At this rate, someone’s name might end up in the Guinness Book of World Records. But whose would it be: Nepal Police’s or Prasai’s?” The Facebook post makes no serious claim about a record. Its humour points to unease among some citizens over repeated arrests. One post cannot stand for public opinion as a whole, but the question it raises deserves an answer.

Nepal Police’s Cyber Bureau said it arrested Prasai at his home in Bhaktapur on Monday following a complaint by parliament member Rachana Khatiwada. Investigating a complaint is a police duty. There is no reason to presume that Prasai’s past statements or the allegations against him are beyond investigation. A complaint, however, does not automatically make an arrest necessary. Police should explain why summoning him for questioning was insufficient in this case.

Prasai has previously been arrested and released on several occasions. The allegations, evidence and legal circumstances may differ from case to case. Yet when arrests repeatedly make headlines while the outcomes of the cases remain unclear to the public, police action itself becomes a subject of ridicule. That should concern anyone who values the credibility of the police.

People are free to disagree with Prasai’s statements, and police must investigate suspected offences fairly. Public trust depends on the legal necessity of each arrest, equal treatment and conclusions that stand up to scrutiny. That is the serious message beneath the Facebook joke.

Photo: From social media