Nepal’s former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli was arrested on Saturday as authorities investigate his alleged negligence in failing to prevent dozens of deaths during anti-corruption protests led by Generation Z last September, officials said.
Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also taken into custody. The arrests come just a day after rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as the country’s new prime minister, and follow a recommendation by an তদন্ত panel that both men be prosecuted.
According to police, Oli and Lekhak are being held at the Kathmandu Police Office and will be presented before a court on Sunday. Police spokesperson Om Adhikari said the arrests were made in line with the commission’s findings.
A total of 76 people were killed during two days of unrest, which ultimately forced Oli to resign from office. The তদন্ত panel concluded that he failed to act to stop hours of violence, including shootings that left at least 19 protesters dead on the first day alone.
Witnesses said the 74-year-old Oli, who has a history of serious health issues including two kidney transplants, was later transferred to a hospital from police custody.
His lawyer, Tikaram Bhattarai, criticized the arrest as unjustified, arguing there was no risk of his client fleeing or refusing to cooperate with investigators. No immediate comment was available from Lekhak or his legal team.
Public anger over the deadly crackdown fueled widespread support for Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party, which secured a landslide victory in elections earlier this month, reshaping Nepal’s political landscape.