The Nepal Media Society on Saturday condemned the publication of ‘fake news’ with the malicious intent of defaming members of the media and the judiciary and demanded immediate action against those involved.

Issuing a statement, the society’s chairman Subha Shankar Kandel expressed his concern on the attempt to spread misinformation.

On Friday, a video of an alleged ‘sting operation’, including an audio clip, was uploaded on the YouTube channel of ‘Sidha Kura’, a television programme previously broadcasted on the now-defunct Galaxy Television, which was established with the money embezzled from various cooperatives.

The umbrella organisation called the video a condemnable attempt at attacking the democratic system, media and judiciary without any basis and demanded that the concerned authorities take action against all those involved in the act.

“The law enforcement agencies should take immediate action in the case of the YouTube channel publishing content with the intent of defaming established media houses, its owners and even a sitting judge without any facts or evidence,” the statement reads.

It is necessary to clarify that such irresponsible and ‘propaganda-producing factories’ cannot be considered media, the society further added.

“There has been a rising trend of misusing technology to attack democratic systems and independent media and the judiciary, motivated by blind public support, worldwide,” Kandel said. “The latest incident is also a similar attempt by some YouTube channel by producing tasteless ‘fake news’, which is a serious issue.”

The organisation also claimed that the content posted on social media sites and online domains created using technological loopholes cannot be news or correct information.

Meanwhile, senior advocate Hari Prasad Upreti and advocate Kishor Bista also issued a joint statement denying the allegations levelled against them in the audio clip.

“We did not visit the Annapurna Post’s office on April 12, 2021, as claimed in the audio. Nor were we a part of the decision-making constitutional bench in the case of petitioner Bishnu Prasad Ghimire mentioned in the audio clip,” the statement reads.

The fact that the allegations are being made four years after the incident allegedly took place itself raises doubts, the advocates said.

The content in question and its publication is misleading and we believe that this is a deliberate attack on the judiciary and the media, they said. “We strongly object against all those who share and defend such content on social media.”

Earlier, Bista had denied the accusation stating that the ‘fake audio’ had been produced with a criminal intent.

“One of the two voices heard in the recording has been attributed to me, but I am not the one speaking. Nor have I ever been to the Annapurna Post’s office,” Bista said. “Also, the tone of the conversation, the noise of children playing in the background, and the comments being made on the case being discussed not only prove that the audio is a complete hoax but also suggest that the hosts of the show created this conspiracy on their own or on the direction of someone else.”

Stakeholders from the media and legal fraternities have also called for the concerned video’s immediate removal and demanded legal action against programme producers.

Citing that the content was being disseminated with the motive of character assassination of those accused of being involved, the Press Council has directed that the content be removed and clarification be furnished within 24 hours.

Earlier, Nepal Press Council, the Nepal Bar Association and other concerned stakeholders expressed their serious concerns over the issue.

Citing that the content was being disseminated with the motive of character assassination of those accused of being involved, the Press Council on Friday directed that the content be removed and clarification be furnished within 24 hours.

Supreme Court Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, who is named in the clip, objected to the content saying that it was motivated by the intent of spreading disbelief not only against the media houses and individuals but also against professional journalism and the judiciary as a whole.

“I am shocked and surprised that my name has been linked with the news published by ‘Sidha Kura.’ My career, spanning almost 43 years, is an open book,” Bhattarai said.

Filing a complaint at the Press Council, Kantipur Media Group chairperson Kailash Sirohiya, who is also accused of being involved in the case, requested that those involved in attempting to undermine the pillars of the democratic system be investigated and held accountable for their actions.

Similarly, Captain Rameshwar Thapa, chairman of the Annapurna Media Network, also filed a complaint at the Press Council on Friday, stating that the content was a fake story that had been created with the intention of creating a ‘viral’ product.