Pokhara, April 17

Kaski-based journalists today staged a sit-in in front of District Police office and Kaski DAO demanding unconditional release of arrested Editor Arjun Giri of Tandav News Weekly and Tandavnews Dot Com on the charge of cyber crime.

Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police had nabbed Giri after a cyber crime case was filed by Pokhara’s entrepreneur Bipnedraraj Batash. Earlier, the weekly had carried a news item alleging that Batash was involved in swindling. Police prevented journalists from staging the sit-in in front of the Office of the Chief Minister.

After Giri was arrested, journalists have been agitating in Pokhara. Giri was remanded to three-day custody by Kathmandu District Court on Tuesday though  he was freed in the presence of Federation of Nepali Journalists central committee on Monday on the condition that he would be present before the court on Tuesday.

Protesting Giri’s arrest, newspapers published from Pokhara had marked their editorials with black ink today. Different organisations of journalists have protested Giri’s arrest and demanded his release.