Journalists and human rights activists have criticised the government for withholding the whereabouts of Krishna Sen, editor of Janadesh, a Maoist-affiliated weekly.

Sen, who was in detention for nearly two years at the Rajbiraj prison under the Public Security Act, was released on Saturday, but his whereabouts remained unknown as of mid-week. Unofficial reports say Sen was taken to the Mahottari prison, where he is being detained, again under the Public Security Act. In a sitting of the full bench, the Supreme Court last Thursday issued a habeas corpus writ releasing Sen. Last Saturday, Sen invited local journalists to visit him Sunday morning. Rajbiraj prison officials say they released Sen 7pm Saturday evening.

In protest, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists presented a protest letter to Deputy Prime Minster and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, and members of the federation wore black bands at the workplace. A spokesman of the FNJ, of which Sen is a member, said the protests will turn more "serious" if the journalist's whereabouts are not revealed soon.