Kathmandu (TDI): Nepal’s police arrested former prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, early on Saturday at his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, in connection with the deadly crackdown on protests last year.
Officers also detained former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak from his home in Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, the same morning. Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari said the pair were taken into custody and that the process would move forward according to the law. Neither has been formally charged yet.
Oli, aged 74 and with a medical history that includes two kidney transplants, was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu shortly after his arrest for routine checks and tests. His lawyers described the detention as illegal and improper, arguing there was no risk of him fleeing or avoiding questioning.
The arrests took place less than 24 hours after Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, was sworn in as Nepal’s new prime minister on Friday 27 March 2026. Shah, 35, a former rapper turned politician from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, secured a landslide victory in the elections held earlier this month.
Background on the Gen Z Uprising
The unrest began on 8 September 2025 when young people, many still in school or college uniforms, took to the streets in Kathmandu and other areas. The immediate trigger was a brief government ban on social media platforms, but deeper anger over corruption, nepotism, high unemployment, and poor economic conditions quickly fueled the movement.
On that first day, police opened fire and at least 19 protesters died. The violence spread the next day, 9 September 2025, with protesters setting fire to parliament, government offices, and police stations. In total, around 76 to 77 people lost their lives over the two days, with thousands more injured. The unrest forced Oli to resign on 9 September 2025.
Read More: Trends, Dances and a Government Overthrown – Nepal’s Gen Z Protest in 10 Pictures
A government-appointed investigation commission, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, examined the events. Its report, submitted earlier this year and later leaked, recommended prosecuting Oli, Lekhak, and the then-police chief for criminal negligence.
The commission found that despite hours of gunfire, senior leaders made no apparent effort to stop or control the firing, resulting in deaths that included minors.
The Home Minister, who played a prominent role in last year’s protests, welcomed the arrests on social media. He said that no one is above the law and described the move as the beginning of justice, not revenge. Supporters of Oli’s CPN-UML party have called for nationwide demonstrations in response.
Muhammad Usman Hashmi is a researcher in International Relations, focusing on climate diplomacy, global governance, and political economy in the Global South. He has contributed to policy dialogues with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia and serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics. He is also associated with Rethinking Economics Islamabad, contributing to research on development and sustainability.
