Police seize equipment of Radio Sagarmatha, arrest five journalists (9:50p.m.)

Police on late Sunday have raided the office of Radio Sagarmatha FM—the first community radio station in South Asia, seized radio equipments and taken into custody five journalists working in the newsroom.

Sources affiliated to the FM station told Nepalnews that armed security personnel also left behind two letters asking the radio station to stop its transmission and alleging it of promoting terrorist activities.

Police also took into custody journalists Ms. Durga Karki, Dipak Babur Aryal, Dipak Raj Pandey, Rajendra Rijal and Punya Bhandari from the radio station.

The police raided station as the FM was relaying the transmission of the BBC Nepali Service.

BBC Nepali carried an exclusive interview with Maoist chairman Prachanda alias Pushpa Kamal Dahal in its edition today.

The radio station had, however, aired music instead of Prachanda’s interview.

The government is yet to return equipment it had seized after raiding the Kantipur FM—a leading private sector radio station-- around mid-night a few weeks back. nepalnews.com by Nov 27 05

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