A gang of swindlers recently issued death threats against the prime minister, the president, the justices of the Supreme Court, government officials and the media. But it seems contempt of court on the part of Charles Sobhraj's defense team has received more attention.
A while back, Unity Life International operatives were detained by the police, though some of the main players involved, including Kasi Prasad Gurung (pic) and Bishnu Kshetri, remain at large. On 22 July, a joint bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the company had been operating illegally, and instructed the concerned authorities to take necessary action. Unity's appeal was subsequently struck down.
Two weeks ago, an organisation named the Nationalist Unity Front issued a press statement physically threatening a whole range of individuals involved in the exposure and closure of Unity Life International. The Nepal Bar Association strongly condemned the Front, noting that "death threats against Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha and Justices Balaram KC, among others, have ridiculed the idea of rule of law, basic human rights and civil liberty." The association has demanded immediate action against the Nationalist Unity Front and urged the public, intelligentsia, and civil society to defend the independence of the judiciary.
Unity Life International is alleged to have duped up to 366,000 people, and the Nationalist Unity Group has now has blacklisted 500 individuals, including journalists from Himalmedia, Kantipur Publications and Republica. The Federation of Nepali Journalists appears to be indifferent to threats against its members.
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