Nepal’s ousted former prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak have been arrested over alleged negligence linked to the deaths of protesters during anti-corruption demonstrations last September.
“Promise is promise. No one is above law,” current Home Minister Sudan Gurung wrote on Facebook. “Former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak are taken under control.”
Gurung, who took part in the mass protests, said the arrests were not driven by revenge. “It’s just the beginning of justice. I hope the country will take a new direction,” he said.
Police said Oli and Lekhak were detained as part of an investigation into whether they failed to prevent dozens of deaths during the protests.
They were arrested a day after Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician, was sworn in as prime minister, following a recommendation by a Nepali panel that both men should be prosecuted for negligence.
A total of 76 people were killed over two days of unrest, which ultimately led to Oli’s resignation.
Police spokesman Om Adhikari said both men were being held at the Kathmandu Police Office and would be produced before a court on Sunday, a working day in Nepal.
"We have arrested them as per the recommendations made by the investigation commission," he said.
Oli, 74, who has previously undergone two kidney transplants, was later transferred from the police office to a hospital, according to witnesses.
His lawyer, Tikaram Bhattarai, said the arrest was unjustified.
"They have said it (the arrest) is for investigation. It is illegal and improper because there is no risk of him fleeing or avoiding questioning," he said.
Lekhak and his lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Oli leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), while Lekhak is a senior figure in the Nepali Congress.
Dozens of police officers were deployed to Oli’s residence in Bhaktapur after the cabinet approved the implementation of a report by a judicial commission set up to investigate last year’s protests.
The commission, led by retired special court chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki, recommended investigations into Oli, Lekhak and Police Chief Chandra Kuber Khapung for alleged criminal negligence.
The panel held Oli responsible for failing to act to stop hours of gunfire, which killed at least 19 protesters on the first day of demonstrations.
Supporters of Oli’s party clashed with police outside his residence, but officers eventually cleared the area and detained him.
The cabinet also moved to establish a committee to examine the role of security officials accused in the shootings.
Leaders from both the UML and the Nepali Congress have described the report as incomplete and biased. The UML has called an emergency meeting to assess the situation.
“It's prejudice and revenge against us,” said Mahesh Basnet, a UML secretary. “The emergency meeting will decide our future course,” he added.
At least 25 protesters, most of them young people, were killed and about 700 others injured during the demonstrations. The unrest followed a ban on social media companies and ultimately led to the removal of Oli’s government.
Anger over the deaths helped propel Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party to a landslide election victory earlier this month.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last m...
What began as a fan-created chant just months ago has become one of the defining images of this year's FIFA World Cup, with Norway's "Viking Row" swee...
Russia’s fuel shortages are spreading into Central Asia, exposing the region’s heavy reliance on Russian petrol and diesel as governments race to ...
Kenton Cool extended his record for a foreign climber on Everest after reaching the summit before dawn on Friday, according to officials.
A Turkish Airlines plane caught fire in its landing gear tyres after landing at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday (11 May) morning, temporarily disrupting airport operations, officials said.
Former rapper turned politician Balendra Shah, was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister on Friday, becoming the youngest leader in decades and the first Madhesi - from the southern plains bordering India - to hold the country’s top office.
Balendra Shah is set to become Nepal's prime minister after winning a landslide in the country's 2026 elections. The election comes after a GenZ-led protest in which dozens died in September last year, helped to overthrow the government
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and North Korea to strengthen cooperation and maintain "strategic resolve" amid what he described as growing global instability. He made the remarks during talks with North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing on Friday.
British police have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a former government minister whose death was announced on Friday.
Andy Burnham is on the brink of becoming Labour leader and prime minister after securing the overwhelming backing of Labour MPs in the first round of leadership nominations.
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city of Shusha on 13-14 July, to discuss journalism’s role in peacebuilding, restoring public trust and tackling challenges.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment