KATHMANDU: Police arrested campaigner Durga Prasai at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Sunday.
Prasai was taken into custody after arriving in Kathmandu on a flight from Jhapa, police said. He had been scheduled to hold a press conference at the airport. Following his arrest, police escorted him to his residence in Bhaktapur.
Whenever Durga Prasai arrives in Kathmandu, Tribhuvan International Airport is usually crowded with YouTubers and online content creators hoping to capture his remarks. On Sunday, however, they left disappointed.
Content creators who gathered at the airport were barred from entering the arrival area after police stopped them at the airport’s main entrance. Instead of addressing the media as expected, Prasai left the airport in a police vehicle.
According to Kathmandu Police Range spokesperson SP Pawan Bhattarai, Prasai was met by police immediately after landing and escorted in a police vehicle to his residence in Bhaktapur. Bhattarai clarified that Prasai was not formally taken into custody.
Bhattarai said Prasai was not allowed to speak to journalists because public statements are prohibited in restricted areas such as the airport.
Police sources said the move was intended to prevent any statements that could further heighten tensions amid recent political developments and growing criticism of the government.
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