Media Action Nepal denounces attack on journalist Deuja, urges accountability for perpetrators

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MEDIA ACTION NEPAL/December 5: Journalist Santosh Deuja was attacked on December 4 while covering protests against the arrest of Rabi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Deuja, who was documenting the agitation in Chitwan, was targeted by protesters and sought refuge in a house on Hospital Road to escape further harm.

Deuja, Chairperson of Kapurbot Media, attributed the attack to his investigative work exposing corruption involving RSP leaders and releasing CCTV footage related to the death of Lamichhane’s driver. He described the incident as a deliberate vendetta.

“They took advantage of the protest and mobilized a large number of agitators to harm me severely. I am grateful to the people who took me home and saved me,” Deuja shared. According to Deuja, demonstrators had surrounded houses and were prepared to attack him.

Deuja told Media Action Nepal that the incident was totally vendetta-driven and intentional. The incident makes it clear that I was targeted for previously exposing several RSP-related scandals, he said.

Media Action Nepal’s Chairperson, Laxman Datt Pant, condemned the attack as a violation of press freedom and demanded swift action from the Chitwan administration and RSP leadership to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable.