A Nepali journalist Balram Baniya who exposed Chinese encroachment in Nepal's territory was found dead under "mysterious circumstances" on Wednesday (13 August), reports WION.

Missing since Monday (11 August), Baniya was found dead on Wednesday near the Bagmati river in the central Nepalese district of Makwanpur.

The police started a lookout after the family of the journalist reported him missing.

He was the assistant editor at the Kantipur daily and used to write on governance, politics and energy issues in the Himalayan nation.

Earlier on 10 June, Baniya wrote a front-page story regarding Chinese encroachment in Nepalese territory, WION quoted local media reports as saying. The story created a huge controversy in the Himalayan nation.

Following the journalist's death, the press unions in Nepal have demanded the government to carry out a fair probe in the matter.

"We demand that the government investigate and make public the truth about the mysterious death of the journalist," Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) said in a press release.

Nepal Press Union said, "there are suspicions surrounding his death", with its General Secretary Ajaya Babu Shiwakoti adding, "his death could be linked with daring news stories that he filed".

Besides, Freedom Forum, a human rights NGO working in Nepal, has also demanded "serious and fair investigation" in Baniya's death.

kantipur daily

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