The Kathmandu District Court is set to deliberate today on whether to continue its interim order directing Nepalkhabar and Bizmandu to remove news articles related to Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) Chairman Santosh Narayan Shrestha.
A single bench of Judge Pitambar Sharma had issued a short-term interim order on June 10, following a writ petition filed by Shrestha, prohibiting the outlets from publishing further reports about him. The court had also scheduled today’s hearing to decide whether the order should be extended and sought written responses within 15 days.
Nepalkhabar has already submitted its response, arguing that public officials must remain accountable to citizens and that the press has a right to report on matters of public interest. The outlet criticized the court for overlooking constitutional press freedoms and overstepping the jurisdiction of the Press Council Nepal.
Senior advocates, including Shambhu Thapa and Om Prakash Aryal, are representing Nepalkhabar, while Nepal Bar Association President Prof. Dr. Bijaya Prasad Mishra and other legal experts are also participating in the debate.
Media rights groups, including the Nepal Press Union and Press Council Nepal, have supported Nepalkhabar, condemning the court’s order as a threat to press freedom. Over a dozen organizations have issued statements backing independent journalism.
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