Nepal court shields journalist from arrest

Shirish B Pradhan, PTI, June 16, 2025, Kathmandu: A high court in Nepal on Monday issued an order shielding authorities from arresting a journalist who claimed financial links between Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba's son and a newly-opened five-star hotel.

     

A single bench of the Patan High Court led by Judge Rishi Bhandari issued a short-term interim order directing authorities not to detain journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak without legal grounds.

The judge issued the order after hearing Pathak’s petition seeking a prohibition order.

“The short-term interim order instructs authorities not to detain or cause the detention of Pathak without legal ground, and urged both parties to be present in the court for a hearing on June 19,” said an official of the high court.

The decision comes after the Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against Pathak over his YouTube news analysis, which alleged financial ties between Jaibir Deuba, son of Nepali Congress President and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana, and the newly opened five-star hotel, Hilton Kathmandu.     

The warrant was issued after Jaibir lodged a formal complaint.

On his YouTube channel, Pathak claimed that Jaibir bought the property from its owner and questioned his source of finance.

Pathak’s lawyer had petitioned the Patan High Court, arguing that such matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Press Council Nepal and not criminal prosecution under the Electronic Transactions Act.

Media organisations and a group of journalists have also expressed serious concern over the case, describing it as an indication of the government’s intention to suppress the free press.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested a 31-year-old woman for making derogatory remarks against high-profile leaders including Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Tiktok.