Summary:
The Kathmandu District Court has overturned a previous order that had directed two online news portals, Nepalkhabar and Bizmandu, to remove articles about Santosh Narayan Shrestha, chairperson of the Securities Board Nepal (Sebon). The court dismissed Shrestha's petition seeking an injunction to prevent further reporting and to remove existing content. This ruling nullifies the earlier June 11 order that had required the websites to take down the news articles immediately and stop publishing related reports.

The initial order faced strong criticism from civil society and media groups, who saw it as a violation of press freedom guaranteed by the constitution. The Federation of Nepali Journalists also condemned the ruling for undermining free expression and journalism's role in holding public officials accountable.

Shrestha’s complaint claimed the articles contained unverified information causing reputational harm. However, with the recent decision, the news portals no longer have a legal obligation to remove the contested content, at least until further legal developments occur.

Archive: https://archive.md/YnFnH