KP Sharma Oli (ANI image)
Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday in connection with a culpable homicide case linked to the alleged suppression of the September Gen Z protests, 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 filed by the home ministry, which led to an investigation and the issuance of arrest warrants.Authorities said the action was taken to implement the recommendations of a commission led by former Special Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, according to Kathmandu Post.
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The panel has recommended that Oli, Lekhak and then Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung be charged under Sections 181 and 182 of Nepal’s National Penal Code for criminal negligence, which carries a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years. The commission also suggested legal action against several other officials, including then home secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadi, Armed Police Force chief Raju Aryal, former National Investigation Department head Hutaraj Thapa and then Kathmandu chief district officer Chhabi Rijal. It further recommended that other officials found responsible be dealt with under the relevant laws governing their institutions.In addition, the report proposed formal reprimands for senior police officials, including current Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki and Armed Police Force official Narayan Dutta Poudel. Legal experts noted that such reprimands could affect their future promotion prospects.The commission attributed the violent crackdown on youth-led protests to criminal negligence and recklessness, citing a 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 Range and the Kathmandu Valley Police Office deployed.Senior government officials, including Home Secretary Raj Kumar Shrestha and Law Secretary Parashwor 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 in the March 5 parliamentary elections. His swearing-in ceremony was held at the President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas and was administered by President Ramchandra Paudel.Shah, the youngest Prime Minister of Nepal and the first from the Madheshi community to hold the post, has risen to prominence through his strong stance against the federal establishment and his focus on governance reforms.Following his appointment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him and expressed hope for closer India-Nepal cooperation in the future.
