The Supreme Court on Sunday started recording the defendants’ statements in a contempt of court case against the Kantipur daily. The process will continue on Monday.

The apex court on Sunday heard from Kantipur Publications Director Swastika Sirohiya. A division bench of Justices Bam Kumar Shrestha and Damber Bahadur Shahi has been hearing the case against Kantipur. As summoned by the court, Kantipur Publications members had reached the SC premises at 11am. The bench started hearing after 2:30pm.

Kantipur Media Group Chairman and Managing Director Kailash Sirohiya, Director Swastika Sirohiya, Kantipur Editor-in-Chief Sudheer Sharma and Journalist Krishna Gyawali have been made defendants in the case. “Recording of statements will continue on Monday,” said senior advocate Daman Nath Dhungana.

Earlier on Friday, the SC had decided to postpone the proceedings until 10am

on Sunday, citing time constraints. The SC on Wednesday had ordered the four Kantipur members to appear at the court in person within 72 hours of receiving the summons.

A single-bench of Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli issued an interim order on February 25, directing the Press Council Nepal to probe news reports published by Kantipur that highlighted discrepancies in his birth date as shown by his official documents.

Parajuli’s order to the Council has drawn widespread condemnations of the court’s “attempt to impose prior censorship on media”. National and international Journalists’ bodies have condemned the move, saying that it goes against the principles of natural justice. Dhungana said the court should not go for a confrontation.