Former Chairperson of the Press Council Nepal, Rajendra Dahal, the regulatory body for media, has expressed concern over the Kathmandu District Court's order to 'delete' news published online, including on Nepalkhabar.com.
In a video interview with Himalkhabar's JB Pun, Dahal argued that the court should not issue orders to remove news that has already been published in the media.
Dahal, the former chairperson of the PCN, stated that it was wrong for the court to issue a one-sided order demanding the removal of published content without hearing the concerned media, solely based on the complainant's allegations.
On June 10, Kathmandu District Court Judge Pitambar Sharma's bench had ordered the deletion of materials published about Santosh Narayan Shrestha, Chairperson of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON), on Nepalkhabar.com and Bizmandu.com, and also prohibited further news coverage on the matter.
"This is an indication that state bodies are moving toward extremism, and even the judiciary is joining in. This is dangerous," said Dahal, who is currently the Chief Editor of Shikshak Monthly, in the video interview with Himalkhabar.
"What if Nepalkhabar presents evidence tomorrow? What will the judge say about his own order?" Dahal questioned, adding, "I found it very strange. What is the court doing?
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