Prison break, arson and murder… How Nepal’s Gen-Z protest took a turn for the worse

Tuesday (September 9) will perhaps go down in Nepal’s history as a significant moment — it’s the day that its Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned as a Gen-Z protest movement sparked by a ban on social media overtook the Himalayan nation.

The demonstrators flooded the streets of the capital Kathmandu; some jubilant and celebrating, others setting fire to government buildings and brandishing automatic rifles. As key protest figure Sudan Gurung wrote in an Instagram post, “The Nepal government has fallen, the youth have won the protest. The future is ours.”

But while Gen Z protesters celebrated the resignation of KP Sharma Oli, there were others who looked on aghast at the widespread and unprecedented destruction and violence. Gen Z protesters set the parliament ablaze; they burnt homes of leaders and attacked political leaders, and even stormed into the Nakkhu prison in Lalitpur.

The situation was so dire that the Nepal army issued a warning that such “activities could lead the country into unrest and instability” in the country of 30 million people.

Nepal parliament ransacked, set ablaze

On Tuesday, the angry Gen Z protesters, fired up following the deaths of 19 people a day before, marched towards Nepal’s parliament in Kathmandu. The protesters set fire to the country’s parliament building while some others sprayed graffiti and anti-corruption messages on to the building’s exteriors.

The Singha Durbar, a large complex in Kathmandu, which houses Nepal’s government offices, was also similarly stormed by crowds of protesters. This complex houses the prime minister’s office and key ministries. Plumes of thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the Nepal skies hours after the Gen-Z protesters stormed the locations.

“We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed. We are here to see that justice is done and the present regime is ousted,” said Narayan Acharya, who was among the protesters outside the battered wall of the parliament building Tuesday. “KP Oli should be chased away.”

Ministers attacked, former Nepal PM’s wife burnt alive

But the Gen-Z protesters didn’t just take aim at the parliament and Singha Durbar complex. Armed with weapons, they went on a rampage, setting fire to many houses of ministers. Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s private house was set on fire as was the house of the now former president, Ram Chandra Poudel.

The demonstrators also set fire to the house of the Nepali Congress party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba as well as the house of the leader of the opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The protesters also set fire to the central office of the ruling Nepali Congress.

The Kathmandu Post reported that protesters set fire to the house of Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, pelted stones at the residence of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Biswo Paudel and attacked the house of former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.

The protesters also attacked ministers — former and present — beating them up, resulting in the death of former Nepal PM’s wife.

As per reports, the protesters broke into the house of ex-Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budanilkantha, Kathmandu and began to assault the Deubas. Footage showed the ex-minister bleeding from his face in the aftermath of the attacks.

Nepal Ex PM Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife & Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba captured and manhandled by GenZ protesters. #Nepalprotest mirrors Bangladesh now.#NepalGenZProtest #NepalProtests pic.twitter.com/QDKyiw554D

— Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) September 9, 2025

Additionally, Finance Minister, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, was chased through Kathmandu streets with people running behind him. A young protester, from the opposite direction, jumped and kicked the minister down, who was thrown off balance and crashed into a red wall.

Perhaps, the worst, however, was that former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal’s wife Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar died after their house was set on fire. According to a report by Nepali media outlet Khabarhub, the incident occurred outside the former PM and his wife’s residence in Dallu. Protesters reportedly trapped Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar and set the house on fire.

Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar was rescued from the fire later and rushed to Kirtipur Burn Hospital in critical condition. However, the former PM’s wife succumbed to her injuries during treatment, the report said quoting family sources. There is no official confirmation about Chitrakar’s death or the cause of it.

Gen-Z storms prison, frees Rabi Lamichhane

On Tuesday, the Gen-Z protesters also stormed into the Nakkhu prison in Lalitpur and freed Nepalese politician Rabi Lamichhane. The journalist-turned-politician had been behind bars for months, accused in a cooperative fraud scandal in 2025.

Lamichhane’s release also led to other prisoners at Nakkhu Jail leaving the detention centre. At least 1,500 prisoners, lodged prior to the protests, exited the jail together shortly after the leader was freed. According to Nepali media, the police withdrew from their security posts, allowing the inmates to leave, raising concerns over heightened security risks in the area.

Officials have also confirmed other incidents of jail breaks in two of Nepal’s western districts. As per a BBC report, Kaski District police office said 773 inmates escaped from there on Tuesday when the Gen-Z protesters entered the premises. Separately, the Area Police office for Tulsipur, in Nepal’s Dang province, said 127 prisoners were able to escape from Tulsipur Jail.

Looting galore

The protests also resulted in some miscreants taking the opportunity to loot and steal from shops and banks. Nepal’s Khabarhub reported that a robbery took place at the Baneshwor branch of Rastriya Banijya Bank.

In fact, the Nepal army arrested 26 people accused of looting and vandalism during the ongoing youth-led protests, as part of a special security operation launched to curb the ongoing unrest.

The arrests took place in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts with officials saying that adding that five individuals were taken into custody for allegedly looting a bank in New Baneshwor, while 21 others were apprehended in connection with violent incidents in the Bouddha area.

In a statement, the army said criminal groups had “hijacked the peaceful movement” by resorting to looting, arson and other unlawful activities.

Nepal army steps in; other leaders condemn violence

Following Tuesday’s day of violence and chaos, resulting in the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Nepal army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel urged protesters to stop the demonstrations to prevent further loss of lives and property and to come forward for dialogue.

In a written statement that followed, the army warned that the country’s security forces were committed to preserving law and order. It was not clear if the army, which so far has stayed in its barracks, would be mobilised to help after police failed to control the situation.

Meanwhile, the UN and other countries condemned the violence that broke out in the Himalayan nation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged restraint to avoid further violence and called for both an investigation into the events and dialogue to forge “a constructive path forward”.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called for calm. “The violence in Nepal is heart-rending. I am anguished that many young people have lost their lives,” Modi said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

“The stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us. I humbly appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Nepal to support peace.”

With inputs from agencies

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