Durga Prasai was arrested in Pokhara on Monday on charges of spreading misleading propaganda that tarnished the credibility of the Election Commission.
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Durga Prasai, a medical professional and coordinator of the Nation, Nationality, Religion, Culture and Citizen Protection Campaign, was arrested in Pokhara on Monday on charges of spreading misleading propaganda that undermined the credibility of the Election Commission. He was taken into custody by Kaski police near Pokhara Airport.
Prasai had released a video claiming that the Nepali Congress' special general convention party had paid Rs 520 million to the Election Commission and had swayed the election results in its favor. The Commission had written to the police for an investigation on the same matter, and Kaski Police Spokesperson DSP Hari Bahadur Basnet said that he was arrested. Two units mobilized for investigation The Election Commission had written to two units of the Nepal Police for action, concluding that Prasai's statement had seriously damaged the reputation of the constitutional body. The Commission had sent a letter to the Police's Cyber Bureau for a digital forensic investigation into the matter of spreading confusion through social media and to the District Police Complex, Kathmandu, to execute an arrest warrant and take further legal action.
What were the allegations?
In a video released a few days ago, Prasai had claimed that the results were manipulated by the officials of the Commission by taking a large sum of money, linking the internal dispute within the Congress and the context of the election. The commission had filed a complaint with the police through the Ministry of Home Affairs, saying that the claim was completely baseless, misleading and intended to tarnish the image of the organization.
According to the police, preparations are currently underway to bring him from Pokhara to Kathmandu. After bringing him to Kathmandu, the police have stated that further consultations will be held on whether to file a case against him for cybercrime or an offense against public peace.
