Radio Sagarmatha moves court for the second time

Kathmandu, Dec 3-Radio Sagarmatha F. M.the first community run radio station in South Asia-- has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court on Friday seeking an order to resume re-broadcasting of BBC Nepali service in its transmission.

Bhupendra Basnet filed the petition on behalf of Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), which runs Radio Sagarmatha, filed a writ petition against the government’s action of issuing a notice to Radio Sagarmatha to stop up-linking BBC Service immediately after the SC issued a stay order on November 29 to the government against barring the FM station from airing news.

On November 29 a single bench of Justice Badri Kumar Basnet had issued a stay order allowing Radio Sagarmatha to resume its service to broadcast news and on November 30 a division bench of justices Min Bahadur Rayamajhi and Anup Raj Sharma had ordered the government not to stop FM stations to broadcast news.

The petitioner sought the contempt of court action to the officials who have been disrespecting the court order and also issuance of a stay order to allow the FM station to up-link the BBC Service.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry of Information and Communication and Under Secretary of the Ministry Ambar Raj Paudel have been named as opponents of the case.

The hearing of the case will start on Sunday. The BBC Nepali Service has been stopped since November 27 when the government closed down the station and seized its equipment.
The SC is examining another case filed by the Radio Sagarmatha against the government’s raid at the FM station on November 27