KATHMANDU: Questions have emerged over a series of suspicious vehicle placements outside media houses, business establishments, and political leaders’ residences, with allegations that the incidents were linked to an attempt to divert attention from the self-immolation case of Ganesh Nepali outside the Department of Passports.
A day after the New Road area was disrupted on Sunday, vehicles were found parked in a manner blocking access to several media houses and other locations on Monday. Concerns have been raised over whether the incidents were coordinated, with some alleging involvement of individuals close to the government. However, authorities have not yet publicly confirmed who was responsible.
A vehicle was parked outside the residence of Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa in Ratopul, obstructing access to the house. Local residents said the driver left the vehicle and later departed in a Nepal Police van, raising further questions. Police have not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, a social media post by Troll Nepal, a platform associated with Kumar Ben, a close aide to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, drew criticism after it appeared to comment on the issue. The post questioned why media outlets that had criticized vehicle removal operations in New Road were now issuing statements within hours.
Although Ben has previously stated that he handed over control of the page after joining the government, he remains identified as its founder and former operator.
A vehicle parked outside Kantipur Media Group’s office in Tinkune was also found to be linked to a person associated with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The vehicle, bearing registration number Ba. Pradesh 01-03 Cha 8480, belongs to Ravi Jaiswal, son of Garuda Municipality Mayor Kanthmuni Jaiswal of Rautahat, according to reports. Ravi Jaiswal was appointed as a member of the RSP Central Research and Documentation Department in May.
On Monday morning, vehicles were found blocking the entrances of Kantipur Media Group in Tinkune, Himalaya Television in Baneshwor, and Onlinekhabar in Buddhanagar. Similar vehicles were also reported outside Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Anamnagar and Thapa’s residence in Ratopul.
The vehicles remained in place for several hours despite calls for their removal, prompting criticism over the delayed response from police and traffic authorities.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has expressed concern over the incidents, saying such activities could create fear and pressure among media organizations. FNJ President Nirmala Sharma demanded a serious investigation into the matter.
Following growing criticism and media organizations’ concerns, police later removed the vehicles and began an investigation into the incident.
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