KATHMANDU: The US Embassy in Kathmandu has issued a statement calling for the protection of press freedom in Nepal, particularly in light of recent events surrounding the arrest of Kailash Sirohiya, the chairman of Kantipur Media Group (KMG). In their statement on Wednesday, the embassy underscored the significance of press freedom, accountability, and transparency as fundamental principles in democratic societies, including Nepal. They expressed their expectation for Nepal to engage in constructive dialogue to uphold good governance, press freedom, and the fundamental rights of its citizens as it continues to strengthen its democracy.
Sirohiya, responding to the arrest warrant against him, accused it of being an attempt to impede news reporting and divert attention from the media house's coverage of a cooperative fraud case. Despite this, he affirmed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation. The arrest was carried out by a police team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, led by SSP Sanuram Bhattarai and SP Rabindra Regmi, who apprehended Sirohiya at the KMG headquarters in Thapathali on Tuesday afternoon.
Prior to his arrest, Sirohiya had filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking the annulment of the arrest warrant issued by the District Court in Dhanusha, which pertained to allegations of citizenship misuse. The complaint, lodged at the District Police Office in Dhanusha, alleged that Sirohiya possessed two different citizenship certificates of Nepal, with authorities noting similarities between his citizenship number and that of another individual.
