Press Chautari Nepal has said that its serious attention has been drawn towards the threats issued to its President and Rajdhani Daily News Editor Ganesh Basnet, the paper’s Editor-in-Chief, Rajan Sharma, and senior reporter Tapendra Karki for publishing news on suspended CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki. 

“A person who introduced as Karki himself called at the office of Rajdhani Daily on October 23 and threatened the officials,” Press Chautari said in its statement on Monday. “First the person threatened Editor Sharma by calling on landline number of the office. Later he called Press Chautari’s President and Rajdhani Daily’s News Editor Basnet and senior reporter Karki and issued death threats,” the statement read. 

“This is an effort to conceal one’s crime and curb the increasing awareness among public about his [Karki’s] activities by trying to divert the attention of press sector from its duties,” Press Chautari said. 

Condemning the incident, the organisation demanded the government ensure a fearless environment for collection, dissemination and publication of news by identifying the guilty party and take action against him. 

The statement further read that the government should be attentive as journalists from different media houses have been receiving threats for running news on Karki. The Press Chautari Nepal demanded strong action against the guilty.