INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, June 12
Hundreds of YouTubers, social media users, stand-up comedians and rights activists nowadays gathered in Maitighar
Mandala to protest against the arrest of a YouTuber and stand-up comedian Pranesh Gautam, who has been held in police custody for the final
six days, for allegedly posting a negative review about a film, Bir Bikram 2, on a Nepali YouTube channel.
Pranesh was arrested on June 7,
two weeks after an FIR was filed against him by the film maker Milan Chams at police
Pranesh was accused of committing multiple offences like defamation, libel, exurgent sexist and racial comments through social media, along
with cyber crime, while reviewing the film.
The District Court Kathmandu remanded Pranesh to judicial custody for two more days after
Aayush Shrestha, a stand-up comedian, during the protest said, &Cop action was a sheer violation of the people right to freedom of
expression.& He added that police action was influenced by the powerful people in cinema world.
Various organisations representing cinema
fraternity have supported the police action, saying that YouTubers should follow degree norms while reviewing a film
A total of 10 cinema related organisations issuing a joint press release said, &No one should be granted liberty to use foul words and make
sexist and racial comments on the pretext of right to expression.&
Filmmaker Chams speeching to THT said, &I do much seek any personal
vendetta against Pranesh, as reported by measure YouTubers, neither was I offended by the film review
I have just sought proper legal action against the foul words, sexist and racial comments and the choices of words that have defamed actors
and actresses in the film.&
Deputy Supermeanent of Cop Hobindra Bogati at Metropolitan Cop Range, Teku said that large crowd of peopleiles
and laptops of the accused have been sent to a digital forensic lab for investigation, to asdegree whether he had plannedly made the video
to defame actors in the film.
The post Activists protest against arrest of a YouTuber seemed first on The Himalayan Times.
