Kathmandu, March 28, 2026 — Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested Friday morning from his residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, in connection with last year's deadly Gen Z anti-corruption protests that left over 70 people dead and ultimately brought down his government.
Nepal police took Oli into custody alongside his former Home Minister, Ramesh Lekhak, just one day after rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as the country's new prime minister.
"They were arrested this morning, and the process will move forward according to the law," Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari confirmed.
The arrests came swiftly after Shah's first Cabinet meeting, which resolved to immediately implement the findings of a high-level commission that had investigated the September 2025 unrest. The commission recommended up to ten years' imprisonment for senior officials found negligent during the uprising — including Oli and Lekhak — after protesters took to the streets over economic hardship, government corruption, and a controversial social media ban. The violence spread nationwide, with parliament and government buildings set ablaze before Oli's government collapsed.
Newly appointed Home Minister Sudan Gurung framed the arrests as a landmark moment. "This is not revenge against anyone; it is just the beginning of justice," he wrote, adding that "no one is above the law."
Oli pushed back, calling his arrest politically motivated. "I have been arrested vindictively," he told reporters. "I will fight the legal battle."
The commission's report stopped short of finding a direct order to open fire on protesters, but concluded that authorities showed gross negligence in failing to prevent or halt the shooting — including deaths of minors. It also recommended action against then Inspector General of Nepal Police, Chandra Kuber Khapung.
The arrests mark a dramatic turn in Nepal's volatile politics, coming on the heels of a stabilizing interim period led by the country's first female chief justice, Sushila Karki, before Shah's election victory. Observers say the swift move signals that the new government intends to follow through on its accountability pledges without delay.
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