Journalist threatened with death over story on charred millions linked to Deuba
KATHMANDU | September 25 : Nabin Dhungana, a journalist with Sidhakura.com, has received death threats after publishing a video report about burnt cash allegedly connected to former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. The discovery of abandoned, charred currency—estimated to be in the millions—was reported after a fire at Deuba’s residence on September 9 during the GenZ protest, raising serious questions of corruption and misuse of state power by Deuba during his time in governments.
Today morning (on September 25), a Facebook user identifying himself as Sanu Bhai sent repeated threatening messages to Dhungana and his newsroom, demanding the removal of the story and calling the report “fake.” The individual claimed the video evidence was artificially generated and insisted no such money existed. “Bastard, I will kill you in two days. There was no money in my Deuba uncle’s house. That video was AI. How did you find that money? Wait, I will kill you,” read one of the chilling threats Dhungana shared with Media Action Nepal.
The user went beyond threats to life, explicitly threatening the newsroom: “I and my team will burn the Sidhakura.com office with diesel, kill the reporter. If you guys want to live, stop writing against us,” the message reads. In another message the perpetrator added: “Go and ask for security to anyone, I will not leave you.”
The user went beyond threats to life, explicitly threatening the newsroom: “I and my team will burn the Sidhakura.com office with diesel, kill the reporter. If you guys want to live, stop writing against us,” the message reads. In another message the perpetrator added: “Go and ask for security to anyone, I will not leave you.”
Speaking to Media Action Nepal, Yuvraj Kandel, publisher of Sidhakura.com confirmed that Dhungana has been facing frequent threats over his reporting. He demanded urgent government action against those orchestrating repeated attempts to silence and terrorize Sidhakura.com. “Such intimidation is not only an attack on one journalist but a direct attempt to weaken the entire media fraternity,” Kandel stressed.
Despite growing public outrage and widespread demand from young people and citizens for an independent investigation into corruption and state loot, such threats represent a grave assault on press freedom.
“This cowardly act of threatening a journalist for exposing matters of public interest is unacceptable,” said Laxman Datt Pant, Founding Chair of Media Action Nepal. Forces inciting individuals to intimidate independent media cannot be tolerated; we call on the government to book the perpetrators, remain vigilant against interest groups inciting violence, investigate the case, and ensure the safety of journalists,’ Pant demanded.
Media Action Nepal strongly condemns this incident as a blatant attempt to sabotage independent journalism and reaffirms its solidarity with Dhungana and all journalists working under threat.
Media Action Nepal strongly condemns this incident as a blatant attempt to sabotage independent journalism and reaffirms its solidarity with Dhungana and all journalists working under threat.