Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba is alleged to have threatened Shova Gyawali, Director of Nepal Republic Media, because of a news story that implicated her and Jaiveer Singh Deuba, the son of former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, in having shared dealings in the Kathmandu Hilton Hotel. The report resulted in an arrest warrant for journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak, and a colleague was briefly detained by police.
Minister Rana is said to have contacted Gyawali via WhatsApp of her secretary, threatening the media house, and admonishing the publication of the news. Legal action has been undertaken based on the Electronic Transactions Act. In reaction, Nepal Republic Media has raised concerns about the threat to national and international press freedom organizations, looking to have the issue thoroughly investigated.