The Government of Nepal has sought to distance itself from recent police actions against journalists, saying it had not been fully informed of or approved the arrests and raids.
Government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel said the operation was conducted by the police as part of an internal inquiry into the leak of confidential information.
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting at Singha Durbar on Tuesday, November 3, Pokharel said neither the Government nor Prime Minister Balendra Shah had known about the operation beforehand.
Police sought to trace leak of information
Pokharel said the police operation aimed to establish how details about internal police matters had reached the media.
He cited reports claiming the Prime Minister had asked Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki to resign.
According to Pokharel, police were investigating how such reports had emerged, whether they were misleading, and the source of the information.
He said the Government had not fully approved the operation. Neither the Government nor the Prime Minister had been aware of it, he added, saying the police had independently begun investigating the leak of internal information.
PM directed officials not to arrest journalists
Pokharel also said that after learning what had happened, Prime Minister Balendra Shah instructed the relevant authorities not to arrest the journalists.
He said no one had been formally arrested.
However, journalists were detained after plainclothes police raided several media offices in Kathmandu.
Journalists detained during raids
On October 30, police arrested Bishwamani Subedi of Nepal Press, Shobharaj Baral of Motive News, and Dhiraj Basnet, editor in chief of DNA Khabar.
Police also attempted to arrest Nawaraj Mainali at the Naya Patrika office and searched for others linked to the reports under investigation.
The arrests and raids drew angry reactions from journalists, media organisations, and politicians.
All the journalists were later released following public pressure and instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Press freedom concerns
The Government’s latest comments have raised further questions, especially about who authorised the police operation.
The incident has prompted debate over the extent of police authority to investigate published news reports and question journalists about confidential sources.
It has also underscored the importance of safeguarding press freedom and ensuring that investigations involving the media follow proper legal procedures.
Although the Government says it did not authorise the operation, questions remain about how it was carried out and who was responsible.