Journalist Shrestha Remanded in Custody for Three Days; PCN concerned over the arrest

Kathmandu / Aug. 13: The Kathmandu District Court has granted police permission to keep journalist Kishor Shrestha in custody for three days for investigation.

A bench of Judge Umesh Prasad Luintel issued the order extending the remand period.

A team of lawyers, including Nepal Bar Association President Dr. Bijay Mishra, Shambhu Thapa, Bar Association General Secretary Kedar Koirala, Govinda Bandi, Ambar Raut, Bhaktiram Ghimire, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, Dr. Prem Raj Silwal, Pushpa Paudel, Chudamani Paudel, Santosh Bhandari, Tika Kunwar, R.C. Gautam, Radhika Khatri, Arjun Khadka and Badri Bhusal, argued for Shrestha’s release from custody.

Police arrested Shrestha from his residence in Lalitpur on Wednesday night.

Shrestha is the publisher and editor of Jana Aastha weekly and Jana Aastha Online. Police said he was arrested on allegations of violating an individual’s privacy.

Press Council Nepal expresses concerns over journalist Shrestha’s arrest

Press Council, Nepal, has expressed a serious concern over the arrest of senior journalist and chief editor of ‘Jana Aastha’ weekly, Kishor Shrestha.

Issuing a press release today, senior administrative officer and spokesperson of the Press Council, Deepak Khanal, stated that the council has a serious concern over the arrest and confiscation of his office equipment by carrying out armed raid on Thursday.

Press council has also appealed to all sides of the stakeholders to file a petition to the press council if there is any disagreement in the news story.

Former Acting Chairperson of Press Council Nepal, Shrestha, was arrested from his Kusunti-based residence on Wednesday night by a team of Kathmandu Police Range .