Patan High Court orders authorities not to arrest journalist Kishor Shrestha

The Patan High Court has issued an interim order to protect journalist Kishor Shrestha from arrest. Shrestha, publisher of the Jana Aastha weekly, had sought the court's intervention after learning police intended to seek an arrest warrant over a news report.

A bench led by Judge Achyut Kuikel stated that the matter falls under the purview of the Press Council Nepal. The court ordered that Shrestha should not face arrest or any coercive action concerning the published report. This decision was based on three key grounds.

Firstly, a complaint regarding the report had already been lodged with the Press Council, the designated body for such disputes. Secondly, the court referenced constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the right to communication. Thirdly, the judges considered a recent Supreme Court order addressing similar issues.

The case originated when Deputy Speaker Rubi Kumari Thakur filed a complaint with the Press Council. She alleged that a report published by Jana Aastha concerning her private affairs violated her right to privacy. Thakur later also filed a police complaint. Meanwhile, Shrestha approached the Patan High Court. However, the Lalitpur District Court had already refused to issue an arrest warrant against him, citing procedural flaws.

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the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Press Council Nepal and ordered that Shrestha not be arrested or subjected to coercive action over the published report.