Kathmandu: Foreign Minister of Nepal Dr Arzu Rana Deuba threatened Shova Gyawali, Director of Nepal Republic Media Limited, which publishes Nagarik and Republica, for publishing a news report related to journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak, Republica reported on Friday. According to Republica report, Rana made the threat call to Gyawali from the WhatsApp number of her personal secretary, Kamal Rawal, at 1:53 PM on Thursday, warning that she would take action to bring down Nepal Republic Media and its management.
The alleged threat call follows reporting by Republica and Nagarik, its sister publication, on the arrest issued against journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak for broadcasting a news report. Kathmandu District Court had issued the arrest warrant based on a complaint claiming that the report linking Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s son, Jaiveer Deuba, to Hotel Hilton, which is owned by the Shankar Group, was defamatory.
Pathak, in one of his explainer videos, four weeks ago, had raised question about property status of top politicians and had raised the issue of Jaiveer Deuba, the son of the foreign minister, purchasing Hilton Hotel. Pathak had used reports and comments that claimed Jaiveer purchasing the hotel as reference for his explainer.
Republica and Nagarik had published reports about arrest warrant against Pathak by mentioning the background of the case.
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