Kantipur Media Office Targeted in Kathmandu Protests, Former PM’s Wife Injured but Recovering

 

KalimNews, September 10, 2025, Kathmandu :  Escalating protests in Kathmandu took a destructive turn as demonstrators targeted major institutions, leaving behind scenes of devastation and confusion. Among the hardest hit was the Kantipur Media Group, one of Nepal’s largest media houses, and the private residence of senior CPN (Unified Socialist) leader and former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal.

In Thapathali, protestors stormed the Kantipur Media Group’s headquarters and set the building on fire. The blaze reduced the newsroom to ashes, destroying computers and equipment essential to daily operations. The online platform, ekantipur, was forced offline after servers were damaged, and Kantipur temporarily suspended its broadcast services. Despite the setback, journalists of the media group continued providing updates through social media channels. During the incident, one individual sustained injuries when glass shattered from fire damage fell on him.

The chaos was further compounded by misreporting in both national and international media outlets. Earlier reports incorrectly announced the death of Khanal’s wife and suggested that President Khanal had resigned, though the resignation was yet to be formally accepted and he is still functioning. Clarifications have since been issued: the wife of Jhala Nath Khanal is named Ravi Laxmi Chitrakar, not Rajya Laxmi Chitrakar, and she remains alive, though seriously injured.

On Tuesday morning, protestors also set fire to the Khanal family residence in Dallu. At the time, Ravi Laxmi was inside the house with her son, Nirbhik Khanal. Trapped in the blaze, she sustained severe burn injuries before being rescued and rushed to the Nepali Army Hospital in Chhauni, where she was placed under intensive care. She was later transferred to Kirtipur Hospital for advanced treatment. According to party leader Jeevan Ram Shrestha and hospital sources, her condition has shown signs of improvement since Tuesday. Former Prime Minister Khanal was not at home during the attack.

The twin incidents underscore the gravity of the ongoing unrest in the capital, where violence has increasingly targeted both institutions of press freedom and the private lives of political figures. Authorities have yet to provide detailed updates on investigations or measures to curb further escalation.