KATHMANDU, MAR 02 - The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has refuted media claims of filing cases against two journalists for recording the arrest of senior police officer made by the anti-graft body.

Police had filed public offence case against journalists Tilak Gaule of Sagarmatha Televison and Chekranath Devkota on Mountain Television on February 9 after they recorded a video while CIAA was arresting Banke Police chief DSP Suman Kharel while he was taking bribe in Nepalgunj.

Clarifying no such cases were filed as reported in today’s Kantipur Daily, CIAA spokesperson Begendra Raj Sharma Poudyal issued  a statement saying that the news report regarding the filing of criminal case at Banke District Administration Office (DAO) against two journalists upon the direction of CIAA was incorrect, misleading and unreal.

Earlier, Banke Chief District Officer Bed Prasad Lekhak had said that, upon the directives of from CIAA, a case was filed against the two journalists in Banke DAO for obstructing the functioning of the CIAA.

Journalists Gaule and Devkota said that the case was deliberately filed against them after they refused the CIAA’s demand to handover the recording tape.