Kathmandu, Oct. 31 -- Nepal Police has said it called journalists to its office for questioning following concerns raised by the Prime Minister's Office over reports and messages critical of the police force.

On Friday afternoon, plainclothes police officers detained Bishwamani Subedi of Nepal Press, Shobharaj Baral, editor of Motive News, and Dhiraj Basnet, editor-in-chief of DNA Khabar. They also spent nearly three hours trying to take journalist Navaraj Mainali into custody from the office of Naya Patrika daily.

The police issued a clarification late on Friday night after the action drew widespread criticism.

In a statement posted at 1:40am on Saturday in the Nepal Police's official WhatsApp group for sharing information with journa...