Shrestha Released After Cyber Bureau Talks, Says Media Complaints Should Go to Press Council

Dragon Media News Desk

Journalist Kishor Shrestha was released on Saturday evening after discussions at the Cyber Bureau. Police had taken him from his home in Nakkhu, Lalitpur, that morning following a complaint by comedian and Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Himesh Pant.

After his release, Shrestha said in a social media post that complaints about published media content should be filed with the Press Council Nepal. He said the Cyber Bureau was not the body responsible for adjudicating disputes involving news media. Shrestha also cited a Supreme Court mandamus that, he said, established that journalists could not be arrested or their equipment seized solely for publishing news.

The dispute followed a report about Pant published by Jan Aastha Online and subsequent social media comments. Both sides had filed complaints with the Cyber Bureau. Nepal Press reported that after about three hours of discussion, the two signed a settlement document and Shrestha was allowed to return home.

Desh Sanchar reported that Shrestha and Pant agreed not to target each other on social media and to take the dispute over the news report to the Press Council. Shrestha also claimed after his release that Pant had acknowledged making personal comments about them on social media.