Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were taken into custody on Saturday as investigators probe their roles in last September’s deadly anti-corruption protests, authorities said. Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari said legal proceedings would follow over their alleged failure to prevent the unrest.
“They were arrested this morning and the process will move forward according to the law,” Adhikari said.
A government-appointed panel this week recommended prosecuting Oli, 74, for negligence in handling the protests, during which 76 people were killed over two days. The violence prompted Oli’s resignation.
The arrests came a day after new Prime Minister Balendra Shah was sworn in following Nepal’s first election after the 2025 uprising.
The so-called Gen Z protests—sparked by a social media ban imposed by Oli’s government and then sustained by wider anger over corruption and economic woes—toppled the administration last year and drew tens of thousands of demonstrators. The unrest resulted in at least 76 deaths and widespread calls for accountability.
A government-backed report recommended prosecution of Oli and other officials. It said there was no evidence of an order to open fire but found authorities failed to halt or control the shooting, which led to civilian deaths including minors.
“No one is above the law… This is not revenge against anyone, just the beginning of justice. I believe, now the country will take a new direction,” newly appointed Home Minister Sudan Gurung, a key figure in the protests, wrote on Instagram.