The Nepalese Government has denied any involvement in the case of a journalist alleged to have died in custody - and says he is on the run.

Krishna Sen, the editor of the pro-Maoist daily Janadisha, has not been seen since late May when reports say he was arrested by the security forces and tortured to death.

The ministry will co-operate in investigating the truth over this issue

Home Ministry

Until now, the government has refused to be drawn on his whereabouts.

But the Home Ministry said on Friday that Mr Sen was a wanted man with a price on his head - and definitely not in detention.

"Sen is the central adviser of the Maoist terrorist group and the government has already announced a reward of 2.5 million rupees ($32,000) to the person submitting him dead or alive," a statement said.

Maoist rebels have been fighting to overthrow Nepal's monarchy for the past six years.

Press protests

The ministry said it would co-operate in "investigating the truth", and regretted "misleading and exaggerated" reports about the case.

Press are blackballing Prime Minister Deuba

Condemnation from the media and human rights groups was swift.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists accused the government of lying about Mr Sen.

It said more than 100 journalists had been taken into custody since the imposition of a state of emergency last November and nearly two dozen were still being held.

It has launched a campaign of protests against the government to press for details about Mr Sen to be made public.

Measures include boycotting reporting of government business and not printing photos of the prime minister and his colleagues in the press.

The case has also attracted international attention, with the press watchdog Reporters Without Borders urging the Nepalese Government to investigate the case.

Mr Sen's wife has told the BBC she has no information about his whereabouts.

She also said that a report that the authorities had handed over his body for cremation was not true.