Journalist Kishor Shrestha arrested over privacy complaint, police search house and office

Journalist Kishor Shrestha, chairperson of Jan Aastha weekly, has been arrested by Kathmandu police following a complaint alleging violation of personal privacy.

According to Kathmandu District Police Range chief SSP Dilip Ghimire, Shrestha was arrested while he was on his way home in the Nakkhu/Kusunti area of Lalitpur. Police said the complaint was filed after Shrestha posted on social media a photograph of a lawmaker with a woman.

Police identified the complainant as Amarkant Chaudhary, a member of the House of Representatives from Saptari-3. Shrestha had recently published a photograph showing Chaudhary with a young woman.

Following the arrest, police searched Shrestha’s house and the Jan Aastha office in Sanepa, Kathmandu, on Thursday morning. Police said they seized computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment believed to be connected to the case, along with documents. The exact number of devices taken has not yet been disclosed.

Shrestha is currently being held at the Kathmandu District Police Range. Senior Advocate Tikaram Bhattarai, who went to meet him at the request of Shrestha's family, said police did not allow him to meet the journalist. 

Shrestha's arrest has also drawn protests from journalists. On Thursday morning, journalists gathered outside the Kathmandu District Police Range in Bhadrakali at the call of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). 

Police have not yet disclosed further details about the investigation or the specific legal provisions under which Shrestha is being held.

The arrest and search have drawn concern from Press Council Nepal. In a statement issued Thursday, the council said it had taken serious note of Shrestha's arrest, the search of his residence and the subsequent search of the Jan Aastha office. The council said police entered the media organisation's office carrying weapons and confiscated computers and other materials.

Press Council Nepal emphasised that citizens' right to information is guaranteed through press freedom and said all sides have a responsibility to uphold the dignity of the press. At the same time, the council stressed that journalists and media organisations must observe professional standards and the journalistic code of conduct while exercising press freedom.

The council warned that press freedom should not be equated with unrestricted conduct and urged journalists and media workers to practice journalism that is truthful, factual, balanced and credible.

According to Jana Aastha’s special editorial: “We know that Chairman Shrestha was arrested on the basis of an alleged complaint simply because he exposed the government’s wrongdoing. We are equally clear that the Balen–Sudhan government intends to silence Jan Aastha and intimidate the entire media sector.”

The editorial further recalled the direct and indirect pressure they previously faced to remove a report concerning property details linked to the Home Minister Sudhan Gurung. The episode includes what appears to be a fabrication to implicate Shrestha in a bribery case. In May 2026, CCTV captured a woman leaving NRs 50,000 and a bottle of liquor at the Jana Aastha Weekly office gate, followed by a leaked audio, attempting to suggest Shrestha was bribed to report concerning the Home Minister.

Similarly, last month, suspicious vehicles were parked near office gates of several large media houses in a manner that obstructed access. The incident raised concerns about possible attempts to pressure or intimidate the media.

The vehicle parking incidents occurred amid growing political tensions following public criticism and protests linked to recent events in Kathmandu including the handling of landless families and the tragic self-immolation of a youth, which further intensified public debate and scrutiny of the current political leadership.

The government has yet to identify the actual perpetrators, although several individuals associated with the incident are reportedly close to members of the government.