KATHMANDU, Dec 14: Police on Thursday detained Barsha Shah, a photojournalist, from outside the President’s Office at Shital Niwas while she was taking photos. Shah was detained at a police station for three hours before she was released.
Shah, who works for deshsanchar.com, a news website, was arrested even after she introduced herself as a photojournalist and showed the police her press card. A group of youths had gathered outside the President’s Office to “gift” President Bidya Bhandari a toy car as a “symbolic protest” against the government plan to buy a new expensive presidential fleet for her.
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President Bhandari has been widely criticized for her “greed” for a luxurious car. The government has decided to allocate Rs 180 million for the presidential fleet. A group of youths has been collecting donations “to buy a car for Madam President” as a form of symbolic protest against the decision to dole out millions of rupees for luxurious cars.
“We took some people into control as the area outside the President’s Office is a prohibited area,” said SSP Basanta Lama, “We have not even deleted the photos she captured.”
Photo Journalists’ Club and various other media organizations have criticized Shah’s detention, saying the move has curtailed press freedom.
