Kathmandu, April 5: Nepal’s former prime minister K P Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak will remain in judicial custody for five more days as a district court here approved to extend their detention after the police sought more time to probe their alleged involvement in the Gen Z movement crackdown in September last year.
The Kathmandu District Court approved the extension after investigators sought more time following the expiry of the previous remand period, according to court officials.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Lennist) chairman Oli and Lekhak were arrested on March 28 on charges of their involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9 last year, in which 76 people, including around two dozen youths, were killed.
Separately, the Supreme Court will continue the hearing of two writ petitions demanding the release of the two leaders on Monday as it could not conclude on Sunday.
Participating in the hearing on Sunday on behalf of Oli and Lekhak, senior advocate Lalit Basnet said that the report submitted by the Gauri Bahadur Karki-led probe commission was “biased”.
RSP leader Aryal elected as Parliament Speaker
Leader of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Dol Prasad Aryal, on Sunday, was elected as the Speaker of Nepal’s Parliament.
President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected Speaker of the Parliament, Aryal, at a special function at his office on Sunday afternoon.
Aryal was elected unopposed during a meeting of the members of the House of Representatives. (PTI)
