Kathmandu, Jan 9 (PTI) Police in an eastern Nepal district have allegedly grilled a journalist with a leading English-language daily to reveal the source of a report he had filed and threatened him with "trouble" if he failed to do so.
A Deputy Superintendent of Police yesterday pressurised 'The Kathmandu Post' reporter Benupraj Bhattarai to reveal the source of his news story, which said a group of students chanting anti-King slogans waved black flag during the King's visit in Ilam district, sources at the Post claimed.
The report appeared in the daily on Friday.
"Why was the report filed while our men did not find any kind of protest on that day," the police official asked the reporter and warned him that he would be in "trouble" if he failed to reveal the source, the sources alleged.
Bhattarai, who was called at the District Police Office and grilled for 45 minutes was later freed on condition that he would present its evidence when required.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists has denounced the alleged detention of journalist Hari Narayan Gautam of 'Rajdhani' daily in Baglung district by the Army for three hours. He was allegedly detained after he reported that some armymen entered the meeting venue of seven-party cadres in Baglung pretending to be Maoists.
"We strongly deplore this ploy of the autocratic government and urge everyone to be alert about all kinds of conspiracies," said a statement issued by the Joint Movement Central Coordination Committee of the seven-party alliance.
The Royal Nepalese Army has denied its involvement in any such ploy and said it did not arrest the journalist.
