KP Sharma Oli (ANI Image)
Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday in connection with an intentional murder case linked to the alleged suppression of Generation Z protests in September, police officials said.Oli was taken into custody from his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, while Lekhak was arrested earlier in the morning from Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, around 5 am, according to his personal secretary. The arrests were carried out following a formal complaint lodged by the Ministry of Interior, which led to an investigation and the issuance of arrest warrants.Authorities said the measure was taken to implement the recommendations of a committee headed by former Special Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, according to The Kathmandu Post.
The committee recommended that Oli Lekhak and then Inspector General of Police Chandra Cooper Khapong be charged under Sections 181 and 182 of Nepal’s National Penal Code on charges of criminal negligence, which is potentially punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The committee also proposed legal action against several other officials, including then Home Minister Gokarna Mani Dawade, Armed Police Forces chief Raju Aryal, former National Investigation Department chief Hotaraj Thapa, and then Kathmandu district police chief Chhabi Rijal.
It also recommended that other officials found responsible be treated under the relevant laws governing their institutions.In addition, the report suggested a formal reprimand of senior police officials, including current Inspector General Dhan Bahadur Karki and Armed Police Forces official Narayan Dutta Poudel. Legal experts pointed out that such a reprimand could affect their chances of promotion in the future.The committee attributed the violent suppression of the youth-led protests to criminal negligence and recklessness, noting the failure to act on prior intelligence warnings about possible escalation. A total of 77 people were killed during the protests and property worth billions was destroyed.Security was tightened across the Kathmandu Valley during the arrests, with teams from the Bhaktapur District Police and the Kathmandu Valley Police Office deployed.Senior government officials, including Home Minister Raj Kumar Shrestha and Law Minister Parashur Dhungana, held consultations with police officials ahead of the operation. Home Minister Sudhan Gurung also chaired late-night discussions with security chiefs on Friday.The arrests came a day after Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister. The 35-year-old leader, who heads the Rastriya Swatantra Party, assumed office under Article 76(1) of the Constitution after his party emerged as the largest party in the March 5 parliamentary elections. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas and was officiated by President Ramchandra Poudel.Shah, Nepal’s youngest prime minister and the first Madheshi prime minister to hold the position, rose to prominence through his strong stance against the federal establishment and his focus on governance reforms.After his appointment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him and expressed hope for closer cooperation between India and Nepal in the future.
