KATHMANDU, June 11: An arrest warrant has been issued against journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak for broadcasting a news report.
The warrant was issued based on a complaint claiming that the report linking Nepali Congress(NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s son, Jaiveer Deuba, to Hotel Hilton, which is owned by the Shankar Group, was defamatory. “The arrest warrant was issued because a complaint was filed with the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau,” a source said. According to the source, the arrest warrant was issued by the Kathmandu District Court.
Pathak broadcasted a “Tough Explainer” segment on his YouTube channel’s “Tough Talk,” claiming that Jaiveer Deuba, son of NC President Deuba, had purchased the Hilton Hotel located in Naxal. A complaint has been filed against him accusing him of cybercrime regarding this matter.
Maoist Center Senior Vice Chair Shrestha objects to arrest warr...
Pathak alleged in his news report that Jaiveer Deuba, in collusion with the hotel’s managing director Shahil Agrawal and businessman Deepak Bhatt, purchased the hotel. In his report, Pathak also mentioned that when Jaiveer’s father was Prime Minister, the tax rates were adjusted to provide tax exemptions on imports of diapers and sanitary pads. The 17-story hotel is currently embroiled in a controversy over its building permit, amid claims linking the Deuba family to the hotel. The hotel, owned by the Shankar Group, was inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Pathak, while discussing NC President Deuba and current Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba’s son Jaiveer, claimed that Jaiveer has expanded his real estate business from Dubai and Australia to Canada, and is also connected to the five-star Hilton Hotel in Naxal, which has major investments from the Shankar Group. He also raised questions regarding Jaiveer’s assets.
In this regard, the Shankar Group issued a statement on May 4 denying the allegations. The group also mentioned that it would take legal action against the matter.
The statement read, “We express serious objection to such misleading news that creates baseless issues by linking the names of political figures and business families, as it negatively impacts the reputation of the business and the political careers of politicians. We hereby inform everyone that necessary actions will be taken in accordance with the prevailing laws of Nepal.”
