Nepalese police on Saturday arrested Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak at their respective homes in Bhaktapur.
Officers used “urgent warrants” to arrest the leaders in connection with a murder investigation into the deaths of protesters during the Gen Z uprising last September. The operation began around 5:00 a.m., after a late night cabinet Meeting led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah at which the government decided to immediately implement the findings of a commission headed by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki.
The Karki Commission report recommended that Oli and Lekhak as well as former police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung be prosecuted under Sections 181 and 182 of the Act National Penal Code. These laws cover causing death through criminal negligence or reckless acts, punishable by a prison sentence of three to 10 years and a fine of up to 100,000 rupees ($1,000). The commission’s report found that senior officials failed to act on intelligence that could have prevented the violence that left 77 people dead and 77 people dead destruction billion-dollar fortune.
Immediately after the arrests, the situation in Kathmandu became tense as supporters of Oli’s party, the CPN-UML, broke through police barricades at Maitighar mandal protest the move. Oli was taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for a health check-up, which is a standard step before surgery suspicious is taken to a holding cell. As the government continued with the arrests, the Nepali Congress Party released a statement describing the Karki report as “one-sided” and “flawed on its face,” arguing that the Sept. 9 arson and vandalism were ignored.
The litigation has its roots in the “Gen Z” movement of September 2025, when youth activists took to the streets to protest against government corruption and a ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. During the crackdown, security forces were accused of using unlawful lethal force, including live ammunition. At that time, Interior Minister Lekhak resigned for “moral reasons” and Prime Minister Oli eventually resigned as the political fallout mounted.
This case is now a major test of the rule of law in Nepal as it is heard in court. On Sunday, prosecutors must ask a judge to confirm the urgent arrest warrants. Under the law, such warrants are intended only for suspects who might run away or destroy evidence, a point that defense attorneys are already challenging. If the court upholds the arrest warrants, the leaders could be held for questioning for up to 25 days; otherwise they must be released immediately. The outcome will determine whether the country follows established legal procedures or whether the process is considered “political revenge”.
