Freedom Forum is deeply concerned over the death threat issued to journalist Sanjay Kumar Shah, a reporter for "Rautahat FM", by a group of timber smuggler in Rautahat, a district located in the southern plain in Nepal on 23 October, 2010.
Police had captured large amount of timber that was illegally cut from public forest by a group of smuggler including Jadolal Mahato. Following the incident, the group poured on journalist Shah saying he was involved to leak information regarding their timber business. Jadolal Mahato and his aide Chandan Kushwaha were directly made life threat to journalist.
Freedom Forum strongly deplores the incident and asks the local authority to proceed investigation in this regard at the earliest. Freedom Forum urges the government to provide enough security to journalist Shah so as to ensure his security. Freedom Forum holds the view that perpetrators of the incident should be punished as per existing laws to uphold press freedom situation in the days to come.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022