Kathmandu, Feb 1 (PTI) Three dozen journalists were arrested in Nepal today as they held demonstrations to protest against the curbs imposed on media after King Gyanendra's assumption of absolute power a year ago.
Two dozen scribes were arrested from New Road, a restricted area in Kathmandu, as they demonstrated, marking the first anniversay of the royal takeover as 'Black Day' to protest against curbs on media.
Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) President Bishnu Nisthuri, former Press Council Chairman Harihar Birahi and 'Himla Khabarpatrika' Editor Kanakmani Dixit were the prominent journalists who were arrested today, FNJ sources said.
Journalists Ramesh Bista and Bijaya Sivakoti were also seriously injured as paramilitary forces indiscriminately baton-charged the scribes holding peaceful demonstration, the sources said.
In Jhapa in eastern Nepal, 12 more journalists were arrested while trying to bring out an anti-government rally.
Nepalese journalists have launched a series of demonstrations to oppose the curbs, press censorship, harsh press laws and ban on FM braodcast.
FNJ described the one-year direct rule of the King as "black period" in the Nepalese media history.
Over 400 journalists have been arrested so far and some 240 newspapers faced various kinds of censorship by the government, stated a report published by FNJ.
