Kathmandu Court's Order on Defamation Sparks Press Freedom Debate

Concerns over press freedom have been reignited in Nepal as the Kathmandu District Court issued an interim order against two online news portals, Bizmandu and Nepal Khabar. The order mandates the removal of articles deemed defamatory to the Chair of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON), Santosh Narayan Shrestha.

Judge Pitambar Sharma's decision followed petitions filed by Shrestha, who argued that the articles caused reputational harm and were published without verification. The court instructed the portals to refrain from disseminating unverified content until a scheduled hearing on June 18.

Reacting to the order, both Bizmandu and Nepal Khabar have expressed their intent to challenge it legally, asserting that it undermines constitutional guarantees of press freedom. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of adhering to journalistic standards and the need for oversight by the Press Council Nepal.

(With inputs from agencies.)