Journalist and publisher at https://rautahatexpress.com/ (an online news portal) Mohammad Mojibullah was released from the police custody after nine days in Rautahat on August 24. Rautahat lies in Province 2 of Nepal. Journalist Mojibullah was 'falsely implicated' in the case relating to the possession of drug and arrested by the police persons on August 16. He was then presented before the District Attorney Office. The Attorney Office remanded him to custody for eight days for further investigation. He was then detained in District Police Office . Later, a fellow journalist Madan Thakur discovered CCTV footage revealing two police persons' involvement to falsely implicate the journalists in possession of illegal drugs. The police persons had surreptitiously hidden the drugs into the journalist's motorcycle and later presented him to the police. After the revelation of conspiracy hatched by two police persons, higher level of police started investigation, resulting into the release of Mojibullah all innocent. In line with the investigation, two police persons involved in the conspiracy were suspended from the job. Journalist Mojibullah writes on the issues of social irregularities and smuggling in the border area, which may be one of the reasons the accused police persons tried to plot against him. Freedom Forum lauds fellow journalist's activism in proving the journalist innocent and vehemently condemns the police persons' attempt to falsely implicate journalist. FF urges the Nepali police leadership to take punitive measures against the police persons involved in such fraud and conspiracy. Such behaviour of security agency against media persons is sheer mockery of press freedom. It has harassed the entire media fraternity. FF vehemently condemns the hostility meted out to journalist by the security persons.
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
