Kathmandu, June 25: The Special Court has summoned the publisher, editor, and a reporter of Drishti weekly to appear in court within three days in connection with a contempt of court case, marking a rare judicial move against the media.

A special bench comprising six judges—Tek Narayan Kunwar, Tej Narayan Singh Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Murari Babu Shrestha, Ritendra Thapa, and Bidur Koirala—issued the order on Tuesday. The summons follows the publication of a Drishti news report that the court deemed contemptuous.

This is the first time in the history of the Special Court that such a multi-judge bench has been constituted in direct response to a media report.

The bench has directed Drishti’s publisher Shambhu Lal Shrestha, editor M.P. Subba, and the reporter responsible for the article to personally appear before the court and submit a formal explanation. They are required to present their defense, including reasons and supporting evidence, within three days of receiving the court notice. No extension will be granted.

The contempt charge stems from a report published on June 22, titled "Bishesh Adalatma Bichauliyako Chalkhel Hatena, Settingka Muddama 3 Mahinamaai Safai" (Middlemen Still Active in Special Court: Acquittals in Setting-Linked Cases Within Three Months). A complaint was subsequently filed by Nawaraj Sapkota and others, claiming the article undermined the court’s dignity and impartiality.

The court’s notice stated: “Why should contempt proceedings and penalties not be initiated against Drishti Media Pvt. Ltd., publisher Shambhu Lal Shrestha, editor M.P. Subba, and the concerned reporter? They must submit a written response and appear in person within three days from the date of receipt of this order, excluding travel time.”

The summons comes amid rising tensions between the judiciary and media in Nepal. Just days earlier, the judiciary faced backlash over an order requiring NepalKhabar and Bizmandu to take down court-related articles—an order that was later rescinded.

In contrast, the Special Court has now taken a different approach. Along with the summons, it has issued an interim directive instructing Drishti not to delete, alter, or modify the June 22 article under any circumstances until further notice.

People’s News Monitoring Service