A group of photojournalists in Nepal has called for the release of an Indian freelance photographer who is lodged in the Jhapa jail in the country for over seven months.
The Indian photographer, Durlav Roy Chowdhury, 24, was charged for allegedly carrying image printouts of $100 notes, which according to him, were for the shooting of a short film.
He is a resident of Salkia in West Bengal’s Howrah district and has worked for several news organizations as a freelance photographer.
He reportedly also has a YouTube channel called ‘Sniper Monk Travels’ and his LinkedIn page states that he is a contributor for National Geographic.
Chowdhury was arrested from the Chandrargadi airport in Jhapa district on his Nepal visit from Kolkata via the Siliguri and Kakarbhitta entry points, reported the national news agency.
He was arrested during a security check at the airport ahead of boarding a Buddha Air flight to Kathmandu.
According to reports, police recovered 226 photocopies of 100 US dollar notes from him.
Chowdhury was presented before the Jhapa district court and later with the permission of the court, he was sent to the Jhapa jail for carrying fake foreign currencies.
The president of the National Photo Journalists Group, Pradip Raj Wanta has called for the release of the Indian photographer claiming that he is not linked to any fake currency scam.
Chowdhury had travelled to Nepal for shooting of a short movie titled ‘Money is Nothing’ which would be released on YouTube, he claimed while being interrogated by the police.
