Deepak Khadka (archive photo/Facebook)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka in connection with a case linked to the Generation Z protests last September, a Nepalese Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said.CIB spokesman Shiva Kumar Shrestha told AFP that Khadka was “arrested in a case related to money laundering.”Shrestha added that the Money Laundering Investigation Department will supervise the investigation against the Nepali Congress leader.Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Sudan Gurung wrote on Facebook that Khadka “was arrested today in connection with the investigation into funds recovered from his residence during the September 9 protests.”
The development came a day after then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and then Home Affairs Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested for their alleged roles in a deadly crackdown on Generation Z protesters.Read also: Hours after being sworn in, the Nepalese government arrested former Prime Minister Oli over the killing of Generation Z protestsThe youth-led uprising began over a brief ban on social media, but quickly expanded to reflect long-standing frustration over corruption and economic hardship.At least 76 people were killed in the crackdown on September 8 and 9, according to the commission investigating the violence.
Read also: With new Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah in charge, the commission seeks to prosecute Oli over the deadly Generation Z protests.Protesters set fire to the Parliament building and government offices, eventually toppling the Oli administration.Khadka’s house was set on fire, and videos went viral showing protesters throwing the money inside his house into the air.An interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki took charge and ruled Nepal until general elections held earlier this month, which the Rastriya Swatantra Party won in a landslide.RSP leader, rapper-turned-politician Balindra Shah, officially assumed office as Prime Minister on Friday. Shah (35 years old), the former mayor of Kathmandu, was among the names nominated to head the interim administration before Karki was appointed. He also defeated the former four-term prime minister in Jabba 5 constituency, which Oli represents. The Shah-led government unveiled an ambitious 100-point governance reform agenda, including plans to form an investigative committee to examine the assets of politicians and senior state officials.
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What role do you think social media played in the Gen Z protests?
The agenda was announced on the same day that Uli and Likhak were arrested. The investigation committee had earlier recommended that Oli and other officials be tried on charges of “negligence” for their failure to prevent security forces from shooting at demonstrators.They denied issuing orders to the forces to shoot at the demonstrators.
