Journalist Kishor Shrestha, chairman and editor of Jana Aastha weekly, was released on Saturday after Rastriya Swatantra Party leader and artist Himesh Panta agreed to approach the Press Council Nepal if he was dissatisfied with a news report published.
Police had taken Shrestha from his residence in Nakkhu, Lalitpur, to the Cyber Bureau following a complaint by Panta over a report concerning the alleged takeover of 10 ropanis of a neighbour’s land in Dhading.
The arrest triggered criticism of the police and government, with journalists questioning why the Cyber Bureau had intervened when the country's existing framework provides a mechanism for resolving complaints against media content.
Rajendra Rimal, an editor of Jana Aastha, said Shrestha was released after discussions between the two sides. “Both the Cyber Bureau and Himesh have agreed that if he is dissatisfied with the news, he can approach the Press Council,” said Rimal.
Cyber Bureau spokesperson Dipak Raj Awasthi also confirmed that the parties had reached an agreement.
After his release, Shrestha wrote on social media that Panta was prepared to approach the Press Council. “The Press Council is the place to take complaints when one is dissatisfied with material published by the media,” he wrote. “The Cyber Bureau is not an institution for settling disputes against the media.”
Shrestha had previously been arrested over news coverage. On August 12, police detained him and searched his home and office. He was subsequently released from custody following a Supreme Court order.
The latest arrest has renewed concerns about the use of criminal laws against journalists over published material.
Shiva Gaunle, a former president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, said repeatedly arresting journalists and pursuing cases through the Cyber Bureau over news reports was contrary to press freedom. He criticised the use of Section 47 of the Electronic Transactions Act to treat published news as a cybercrime, saying it went against the law’s purpose and legislative intent.
“Using one section of the law to pursue cybercrime cases is improper,” Gaunle said. “No accountable government should do this. Using a law enacted for one purpose for another undermines press freedom. Applying the Electronic Transactions Act to punish journalists for what they write is a clear misuse of the law.”
The Federation of Nepali Journalists also strongly objected to Shrestha’s arrest, saying police had encroached on the Press Council’s jurisdiction.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the federation demanded his immediate and unconditional release. It said a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Khadka had detained Shrestha at his residence following Panta’s complaint.
The federation said disputes over published material should be resolved through established procedures, warning that arrests through the Cyber Bureau violated press freedom and constitutional principles. It added that using police action to settle media disputes despite the existence of an appropriate complaints mechanism undermined democratic values and international standards of press freedom.
The federation urged anyone dissatisfied with published reports to seek remedies through the relevant institutions rather than resorting to criminal proceedings against journalists.