KATHMANDU, March 28: Nepal’s former Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair, K P Sharma Oli, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the 2025 Gen Z protests that shook the country.
Oli was detained in the Gundu area of Bhaktapur district, 12 km east of Kathmandu, following the implementation of the probe commission report by the newly formed government of Balendra Shah.
Former Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak was also arrested from his residence in Bhaktapur.
Both leaders face charges of involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement on September 8–9 last year, which resulted in 76 deaths, including around two dozen youths.
The probe commission recommended legal action against Oli, Lekhak, and others, suggesting jail terms ranging from three to ten years.
The Shah government moved swiftly to implement the commission’s recommendations in its first cabinet meeting, with Home Minister Sudhan Gurung emphasizing that “nobody is above the law” and framing the arrests as a pursuit of justice, not revenge.
Both leaders are currently held at the Kathmandu District Police Circle in Bhadrakali, with Oli undergoing a medical examination at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital due to heart and kidney issues.
They are scheduled to be presented before the Kathmandu District Court on Sunday, as Saturday is a holiday.
The arrests have sparked political tension. The CPN-UML condemned the move, demanding Oli’s immediate release and announcing a nationwide demonstration on Saturday at 3 pm to protest the detention.
The party also plans to submit protest letters to Chief District Officers across all 77 districts on Sunday.
The developments mark a significant step in Nepal’s accountability process for the Gen Z protest crackdown and highlight the tensions between the new Shah administration and former government officials.
CPN-UML protests former PM Oli’s arrest in Nepal
CPN-UML members staged widespread protests across Nepal on Saturday against the arrest of party chair and former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, along with former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak. Both were detained over their alleged role in suppressing the Gen Z movement on September 8–9, 2025, which left 76 people dead, including around two dozen youths.
Demonstrations took place in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Damak, with hundreds of activists, including members of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), chanting slogans demanding Oli’s immediate release and criticizing the newly-formed Balendra Shah government.
Protesters clashed with riot police in Kathmandu’s Maitighar Mandala, Babarmahal, Bhrikutimandap, and Singhdurbar areas, where security forces used baton charges and tear gas to disperse crowds. Activists also burned copies of the probe commission report and tyres in several locations.
Seven CPN-UML activists were arrested for attempting to breach a restricted area near the Singhdurbar Secretariat. The Shah government had implemented the probe commission’s recommendations in its first cabinet meeting, which called for legal action against Oli and Lekhak for their role in the Gen Z crackdown. (PTI)
