Sapkota, a subeditor for Narayani Khabar Weekly and reporter for the newspaper Adarsha Samaj, was arrested in the southern district of Chitwan. Authorities detained him under the provisions of a sweeping anti-terrorism ordinance introduced in November 2001 that criminalized any contact with or support for Maoist rebels. Sapkota, who is also a schoolteacher, had previously contributed articles to the pro-Maoist publications Janadesh and Mahima. He was imprisoned at Bharatpur Jail in Chitwan.