Right to Information activist and reporter at Sudurpati online media Suresh Bhul was beaten to death on November 9 in Kailali. Kailali lies in Sudurpaschim province of Nepal.
According to information provided by Freedom Forum’s representative Min Bam, locals brutally attacked reporter Bhul for allegedly stealing a goat. Bhul passed away on November 11 while undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Representative Bam quoted Bhul’s father-in-law as,”Bhul did not steal the goat, it was a misunderstanding but the locals suddenly attacked upon him.”
“Even If he was guilty, they should have taken legal action, but they killed my husband”, Bam quoted Bhul’s wife as saying.
Police arrested eight of the attackers on November 12 and are searching for others. Federation of Nepali Journalists has also formed a team to investigate the case.
According to Senior Sub-Inspector Laxmi Datta Bhatt of the Area Police Office, Kailali, a complaint was lodged on November 5 accusing the deceased Bhul of stealing a goat. The CCTV footage from nearby also shows the deceased Bhul holding the goat and taking it away but the investigation is underway.
Though the case does not seem to be directly connected to media work and freedom of expression, it is a serious violation of human rights. Freedom Forum calls upon the investigating authority to investigate the case fairly and independently and bring to book the perpetrators. FF further urges the authority to investigate well whether the incident had a connection to the reporter’s profession. FF is closely following the case.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np