Kathmandu, June 11
An arrest warrant has been issued against journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak.
A police source confirmed that the warrant was issued under the Electronic Transactions Act (Cybercrime charges).
“A warrant has been issued against Pathak for cybercrime offense. The remaining details are still under investigation,” the police source told Onlinekhabar.
Although the police have confirmed the issuance of the arrest warrant, they have not disclosed who filed the complaint or what specific allegations were made against Pathak.
Following a complaint lodged at the Central Cyber Bureau against Pathak, the bureau had requested permission from the Kathmandu District Court to issue an arrest warrant. The court subsequently approved the request and issued the warrant.
About three weeks ago, Pathak posted content on his YouTube channel related to the buying and selling of shares in Hilton Hotel.
In the video, Pathak mentioned Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and current Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba’s son, Jaiveer, claiming that he had expanded his real estate business from Dubai and Australia to Canada. He also alleged that Jaiveer was connected to the five-star Hilton Hotel in Naxal, which, according to Pathak, is backed by major investments from the Shankar Group. Furthermore, Pathak raised questions about Jaiveer’s assets.
In response, Shankar Group issued a statement on May 4, refuting the claims and mentioned that they would pursue legal action.
The statement read: “We strongly object to such misleading information that connects political figures and business groups in fabricated narratives, which not only harm the reputation of the business but also negatively impact the political careers of politicians. We inform all concerned that we will take necessary legal steps in accordance with the prevailing laws of Nepal.”
It is assumed that the arrest warrant against journalist Pathak is related to this matter.
