The International Press Institute’s (IPI) Nepal National Committee today expressed deep concern over a reported press-freedom violation that occurred in Kathmandu on June 17, 2013.
According to reports, Nepal Television reporter Subhadra Gautam, cameraperson Shiva Pangeni, and driver Lalit Bahadur Khatri were attacked by a group of people while reporting on the government raid of a dairy factory in Bhaktapur, a district adjacent to Kathmandu.
As soon as I began visualizing the monitoring and raid conducted at the local Kharipati Dairy, the owner called a group of people from outside and they attacked me, reporter Gautam and driver Khatri for covering the news,” local media quoted Pangeni as saying. However, the police presence prevented a worsening of the situation, he added.
The monitoring and raid were conducted to check production standards following massive complaints regarding alleged adulteration of non-edible chemicals in milk.
The IPI Nepal National Committee strongly condemns the attack and urges the government to hold the perpetrators accountable.
“Attacks on the media from the business community are condemnable,” IPI Nepal National Committee chairperson Padman Singh Karki said, adding that the entire business community and private sector should firmly express their discontent with the incident.
