Media Action Nepal condemns misconduct against journalist, deletion of photos
MEDIA ACTION NEPAL | April 10 : Media Action Nepal is deeply concerned by the actions of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Deepak Malla, who forcefully seized journalist Sher Bahadur Thapa’s mobile phone, deleted photos and videos taken for journalistic purposes, and used threatening language against him. Thapa is a correspondent for Lokantar online, reporting from Karnali Province.
According to Media Action Nepal’s Karnali Province Coordinator, Lalit Bahadur Budha, the incident occurred during a raid conducted by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) at the office of the Surkhet Valley Urban Development Committee on April 9, 2025.
Speaking to Media Action Nepal, journalist Thapa said, “I was on a reporting assignment. I reached the incident site and took photos and videos. However, DSP Malla seized my mobile phone and deleted all the photos and videos I had taken. Even after I identified myself as a journalist, the DSP went ahead and deleted the files.” He further stated that during the incident, DSP Malla forcefully pulled him and made him sit on a chair.
Media Action Nepal denounces this act and urges the concerned authorities to take appropriate action against the official involved, and ensure the safety of journalists in the field.
“The ongoing atrocities against journalists across the country present an alarming situation,” said Laxman Datt Pant, Executive Director of Media Action Nepal. Effective measures must be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, he added.
