Kathmandu, June 11 -- The Kathmandu District Court has issued an interim order directing two online news portals, Bizmandu and Nepal Khabar, to remove articles that allegedly defamed the Chair of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON), Santosh Narayan Shrestha.

The order has raised concerns about media freedom and the potential for censorship.

The bench of judge Pitambar Sharma on Tuesday had issued the order directing Bizmandu and Nepal Khabar to take down the news stories. The articles in question reported on anomalies involving Shrestha, prompting him to file two separate petitions seeking the removal of the articles.

In Tuesday's order the court has stated, "News articles under various headlines have harmed the petitioner's dignity ...